AZERI EXPERTS SLAMS US STATE SECRETARY’S KARABAKH REMARKS
EKHO
April 18 2008
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijani political analysts have criticized US Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice for her remarks that urged Azerbaijan and Armenia
to show political will and take a difficult decision concerning the
Karabakh conflict settlement.
"If political will of the USA allows to change this country’s attitude
to the conflict, the aggressor country will have to act in a similar
way. Azerbaijan does not need to take tragic decisions and make
concessions in the conflict that was sparked by the occupation of
20 per cent of historical Azerbaijani lands," head of the Centre
for Innovations and Political Technologies Mubariz Ahmadoglu
told the Azerbaijani Russian-speaking newspaper Ekho published on
18 April. He said that it is the USA that should take a difficult
decision concerning the Karabakh conflict.
Political analyst Oqtay Sadixzada told Ekho that Armenia, not
Azerbaijan should make concessions in the Karabakh conflict.
"Azerbaijan demands that international law is observed and its
territorial integrity is restored… As to Armenia, this country is not
ready for a constructive dialogue. And Condoleezza Rice understands
that very well," Ekho quoted Sadixzada as saying. He said he did not
expect any progress in the conflict settlement in the near future.
"We are far from any specific agreements, especially that the existence
of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict is advantageous to the USA, as well
as to Russia and France [the co-chair countries of the OSCE Minsk
Group for the Karabakh settlement]," he said.