AZERI MP CRITICIZES MEDIATING OSCE GROUP

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
May 3 2006

Baku, May 2, AssA-Irada
An Azeri parliament member has questioned the credibility of the OSCE
Minsk Group (MG) brokering settlement to the Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper
(Nagorno) Garabagh conflict.

Shahlar Asgarov said there are ample grounds for this conclusion.

“Who can say that the MG co-chairs have put forth any goodwill
proposals so far?” he queried.

The MP said he had been closely following the activity of the group
and arrived at a conclusion that it was established not to facilitate,
but on the contrary, to impede the peace process.

“The co-chairing countries [Russia, France and the United States]
assist either party when its position weakens, which prolongs the
[Armenian] occupation. Our society should understand this clearly,”
Asgarov said.