PanARMENIAN.Net

Hikmet Hajizade: Karabakh Issue Azerbaijan’s Diplomat Defeat
01.07.2006 15:31 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Inclusion of the question on a referendum in the
Karabakh framework agreement is a diplomatic defeat of the Azeri
diplomacy, Azeri political scientist Hikmet Hajizade said. In his
words, even if the Azeri Government does not agree to the condition of
holding the referendum in NK, the fact of inclusion of the item itself
in the agreement is already a diplomatic defeat.

«The authorities are now trying to assure the population of Azerbaijan
that allegedly Matthew Bryza’s statement is his own initiative and a
referendum is out of question. I do not think 2006 will be a year of
settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh issue, as Russia does not want it,
as the tension in the South Caucasus will decrease, if the conflict is
solved. Thus, even if Azerbaijan agrees to the conditions, Armenia
will be against them,» he remarked.

Hajizade also emphasized that «Azeri authorities lack of capacity to
provide for territorial integrity of their country and high corruption
level caused the diplomatic defeat, too.» «The West is convinced that
Azeri authorities cannot secure Armenian population. Even if the
Azeri leadership manage to avoid signing the disgraceful peace treaty
this time, the referendum issue will be included in all next
agreements,» the Azeri political scientist believes, writes the Real
Azerbaijan newspaper.