MP SAYS PUTIN “BROKE THE PROMISE”

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
March 9 2006

Baku, March 7, AssA-Irada
An Azeri parliament member has said that Russian President Vladimir
Putin failed to “keep his word” stated to his Azerbaijani counterpart
Ilham Aliyev during his recent visit to Azerbaijan.

“During the visit, Putin promised to hold serious talks [on the Upper
(Nagorno) Garabagh conflict] with the Armenian president Robert
Kocharian. But he failed to do so. On the contrary, after a phone
conversation with the Russian leader, Kocharian made his stance even
more acute,” the chairman of the opposition-leaning Whole Azerbaijan
Popular Front Party Gudrat Hasanguliyev said in parliament Tuesday.

He stated that if the peace talks stall after this, Armenia is likely
to recognize “the independence of Upper Garabagh”.

Armenian top officials earlier warned that the country may recognize
the self-proclaimed republic, following Azerbaijan’s warning on the
use of military action to solve the long-standing dispute.

Hasanguliyev further suggested tabling the issue in the Milli Majlis
and subsequently granting President Ilham Aliyev the right to launch
war without prior authorization from the parliament, if Armenia takes
the step.