ARMENIAN AIDE CONDEMNS "AGGRESSIVE" STATEMENT BY AZERI PRESIDENT

Mediamax News Agency, Armenia
Dec 22 2006

Yerevan, 22 December: The press secretary of the Armenian president,
Viktor Sogomonyan, said in Yerevan today that aggressive statements
by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev are "a specific way of
self-assertion and compensation for his lack of confidence".

The Armenian president’s press secretary said this while commenting at
the request of Mediamax on yesterday’s speech made by Ilham Aliyev
in which he described as "provocative" [Armenian President] Robert
Kocharyan’s statement that the negotiations on the settlement of the
Karabakh conflict will not be active until the parliamentary elections
in Armenia end.

"We are used to the fact that public speeches by the Azerbaijani
president regarding the settlement of the Karabakh conflict are
noted for their aggressiveness. Most likely, it is a specific way of
self-assertion and compensation of his lack of confidence.

"The statements made by Mr. Aliyev in Naxcivan were also tactless. We
regret that the Azerbaijani president, who inherited his post from
his father, did not inherit his wisdom. It is not the presidents’
business to bandy words with each other," Viktor Sogomonyan said in
an interview with Mediamax.