AZERI OFFICIAL SAYS ARMENIA CANNOT JOIN GAS PROJECT UNTIL KARABAKH RESOLVED

Turan news agency, Baku,
9 Jan 2007

Baku, 9 January: No bilateral or multilateral relations are possible
with Armenia until the Karabakh conflict is resolved, the head of the
[Azerbaijani] Foreign Ministry press and information policy department,
Tahir Tagizada, has told Turan commenting on Armenian Foreign Minister
Vardan Oskanian’s statement today saying that Yerevan strives to join
the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline.

In order for Yerevan to join regional projects, obstacles to the
resolution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict must be removed, namely
occupied Azerbaijani territories should be vacated, Tagizada said.

The diplomat also denied Oskanian’s remarks that talks were under
way on Armenia joining the gas pipeline project.

The Armenian foreign minister today made a sensational statement
about Armenia’s wish to become a participant in this gas project in
order to diversify its gas supplies.