AZERI FOREIGN MINISTER ACCUSES ARMENIA OF "PROVOCATION"

Azeri Press Agency
March 5 2008

APA quoted Elmar Mammadyarov as saying in a comment on clashes that
took place near the breakaway region of Nagornyy Karabakh on 4 March:
"The main purpose is to conceal the tension in Armenia… Actually,
the Armenian authoritiesare trying to divert attention from domestic
issues, by resorting to provocation to show that Azerbaijan had
allegedlyattacked [Armenian troops]."

Mammadyarov added that "all democratic norms have been violated in
that country".

APA quoted him as saying that all embassies and international
organizations had already been informed about thesituation.

In a separate report, APA news agency quoted the Russian ambassador
to Azerbaijan, Vasiliy Istratov, as saying thathe and his colleagues
were watching the situation closely.

Istratov reportedly told journalists that the OSCE mission would soon
be monitoring the contact line betweenAzerbaijani and Armenian troops.

On 5 March, state-run news agency Azartac quoted visiting NATO
Parliamentary Assembly President Jose Lello asdescribing the incident
as "unpleasant".

Lello said he hoped that the situation in the Armenian-Azerbaijani
conflict zone would be stabilized through theefforts of both sides
and international organizations, Azartac said.