From: MihranK@aol.com
Subject: Tagizade: RA FM Statement Constructive, Evidence of Adherence to…

TAIR TAGIZADE: STATEMENT OF RA FOREIGN MINISTRY’S HEAD IS CONSTRUCTIVE
AND IS EVIDENCE OF ADHERENCE TO PEACEFUL NEGOTIATIONS

BAKU, APRIL 21, NOYAN TAPAN. The last statements of Armenian Foreign
Minister V.Oskanian are constructive and demonstrate adherence to the
process of peaceful negotiations. Tair Tagizade, Head of the
Information and Press Department of Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry,
reported this to Trend. He meant V.Oskanian’s April 20 statement,
according to which “if Azerbaijan recognizes the Nagorno Karabakh
people’s right to determine its future status on its own, Armenia is
ready to seriously discuss issues connected with liquidation of the
consequences of the war”. “This statement is evidence of the fact that
the Armenian party intends to take an active part in the process of
peaceful negotiations on settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani,
Nagorno Karabakh conflict, T.Tagizade said. – De facto this statement
is the confirmation of the Armenian party’s adherence to the
“stage-by-stage” settlement. As it is known, according to the
“stage-by-stage” variant, at the first stage the issue of withdrawal
of the Armenian armed forces from the regions surrounding Nagorno
Karabakh is to be solved. There are also a lot of attendant elements
here, including mine-clearing, restoration of communications, return
of displaced people, provision of their security. And the second stage
is the determination of the Nagorno Karabakh status”. As for the
self-determination, according to T.Tagizade, it is quite possible
inside a state, too. “This is the very status of the highest autonomy
we are speaking about. Thus, this can be estimated as the Armenian
party’s confirmation of its adherence to the process of peaceful
negotiations and realization of the essence of the national interests
of Armenia,” he summed up. T.Tagizade also expressed an opinion in
connection with V.Oskanian’s statement that Armenia set itself a task
to join the Transcaspian gas pipeline and has already started serious
negotiations about this with U.S. “Armenia cannot carry on any
negotiations with U.S. for a number of reasons. One of the reasons is
that no regional projects are possible without Azerbaijan’s
participation, either as a starting-point as an exporter or as a
transit state. We will consider cooperation with Armenia possible only
after the settlement of the conflict and liquidation of its
consequences,” the representative of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry
emphasized.