AZERBAIJANI, ARMENIAN PRESIDENTS: MEETING IN SAINT-PETERSBURG EXPECTED TO TURN FRUITLESS
Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
June 7 2007
Azerbaijan, Baku / Òrend corr S. Aghayeva / Independent Azerbaijani
politicians do not expect the forthcoming meeting between Azerbaijani
and Armenian Presidents in Saint-Petersburg to result in a serious
break-through in the settlement of Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict.
"I do not see changes in Armenian society that could lead to the
decisions by Armenian President, Robert Kocheryan, that could make a
possible break-through at the talks," Ilgar Mammadov, a politician,
stated.
According to Mammadov, the process of negotiations and the layout
of the peace agreement must provide an answer for the main question
which is being posed, ‘to which country will the Nagorno-Karabakh
region remain part of, after the settlement?’ "If Armenian society is
ready to provide an answer for this question, then that will satisfy
the Azerbaijani side, to be exact if the sovereignty of Azerbaijan
is restored and Nagorno-Karabakh remains a part of the country, then
the break-through will be possible. If not, then I will be confused
by the optimism of the OSCE Minsk Group’s co-chairmen," Mammadov said.
As to determination of the status of Nagorno-Karabakh, the politician
said that if any procedure provided for self-determination of
Nagorno-Karabakh as a composite part of Azerbaijan, then it would be
acceptable for Azerbaijan.
According to another politician, Rasim Musabeyov, the forthcoming
meeting of the Presidents in Saint-Petersburg can be considered to
be successful, providing the Presidents say to journalists after the
meeting that the positions of the sides had been drawn together.
Nothing else should be expected from the meeting. Holding a referendum
in Nagorno-Karabakh in order to determine its status contradicts
Azerbaijani constitution, the politician said. "I do not believe
Azerbaijan will agree at the meeting to hold the referendum,"
he stressed.
–Boundary_(ID_z4DMg/zTVyIcL24/u1ap2w)- –