AZERBAIJAN READY FOR TALKS WITH ARMENIA – PRESIDENTIAL AIDE
Turan News Agency
March 28 2008
Azerbaijan
An Azerbaijani top official has denied reports that President Aliyev
refused to meet Armenian president-elect Serzh Sargsyan on the
sidelines of the NATO summit in Bucharest on 2-4 April.
The head the foreign relations department of the presidential
administration, Novruz Mammadov, described the Armenian Foreign
Ministry spokesman’s remarks as "a diplomatic manoeuvre and an attempt
to deceive the international public opinion".
Mammadov told Turan that Armenia should have specified the reason for
the meeting. "Baku thinks that the conduct of such a meeting is first
of all aimed at strengthening the domestic situation of the Armenian
president [president-elect]. The Azerbaijani side is always ready for
negotiations, but they should have a subject and a specific objective,"
Turan quoted Mammadov as saying.
BBCM note: Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan said on 13 March
that Serzh Sargsyan is ready to meet Ilham Aliyev as it sees the
NATO summit as the first opportunity for holding a meeting between
the two presidents.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
