BAKU EXPECTS US TO PUT PRESSURE ON ARMENIA

ASSA-IRADA, Azerbaijan
April 27 2006

Baku, April 26, AssA-Irada
The Azerbaijani government expects the United States to put pressure on
Armenia with regard to settling the long-standing dispute over Upper
(Nagorno) Garabagh, an official has said commenting on President
Ilham Aliyev’s ongoing visit to Washington.

The visit will give an incentive to the conflict settlement, head of
the President’s Office socio-political department Ali Hasanov said.

“The US is one of the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group dealing with
the conflict. We therefore not only hope but also expect that jointly
with the other co-chairs, they will step up pressure on the Armenian
government this year and give their support to intensifying peace talks
within international legal norms. At the same time, we are awaiting
the co-chairmen to urge Armenians to take a constructive position.”

Hasanov said any developments in the South Caucasus, the Caspian and
Black Sea regions are closely followed both by Azerbaijan and the
United States, a superpower that has interests throughout the world.

“We therefore believe that both the Iran issue and other regional
issues will be tabled by the [US and Azeri] presidents and the two
will put forth their views,” the official added.