ARMENIAN MINISTER SAYS AZERBAIJAN RENEGES ON KARABAKH AGREEMENTS
Mediamax news agency
20 Jun 07
Yerevan, June 20. Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan refuted
the statements of the Azerbaijani side, according to which "Armenia
took a delay in the negotiation process on the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict settlement".
The Armenian foreign minister said this, commenting on Mediamax’s
request on the statement of the Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan
Araz Azimov, which was spread by Interfax Agency today.
"Armenia and the international community on the whole should seriously
analyse and assess the present situation. And if till September there
is a break in the talks, it should be regarded as a delay for Armenia,
as a chance to again assess the situation", Araz Azimov stated.
Mediamax reports that, speaking during the joint news conference with
the NATO Secretary General’s special representative for Central Asia
and the South Caucasus, Robert Simmons, Vardan Oskanyan stressed that
the position of the official Yerevan remains unchanged – "Armenia is
ready to continue the talks on the basis of the present proposals".
The foreign minister stated that during the latest meeting of the
Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents, which took place in St Petersburg
on 9 June, "there appeared the first obvious signs that the Azerbaijani
side tries to renounce some agreements, reached earlier".
"Taking into account that fact, I do not rule out that the statement
of Araz Azimov is an effort to launch a counter-offensive and impose
the responsibility on Armenia", Vardan Oskanyan stated, answering
Mediamax’s question.
The Armenian foreign minister did not comment on the statements,
according to which Azerbaijan refused the idea of holding a referendum
in Nagorno-Karabakh. Together with that, Vardan Oskanyan repeated, "we
see the trend of renouncing a number of agreements, reached earlier".
"We need time to understand, what such a behaviour of Azerbaijan can
lead to – toughening of position, total shift of policy or anything
else", Vardan Oskanyan stated