Interfax News Agency, Russia
May 24 2008

BAKU TO SEE WHETHER YEREVAN HAS CHANGED POSITION on NK SETTLEMENT

Baku is determined to find out whether Yerevan has somehow changed its
position on the settlement of the problem of Nagorno-Karabakh at a
meeting between the Azeri and Armenian presidents in St. Petersburg on
June 6, Azeri Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov told journalists.

"The meeting will take place to clarify the new Armenian leadership’s
position. It is necessary to find out whether there are any changes in
the Armenian leadership’s position on the key issues pertaining to the
conflict settlement, which remain open. These very issues will be
clarified at the top-level meeting," Azimov said.

Further steps toward settling the conflict will depend on the parties’
fundamental positions, "and if these fundamental positions differ too
much, this will probably mean that there are no reasons to seek
specific results at the following negotiations, either," Azimov said.

In particular, Baku’s fundamental position is that Nagorno-Karabakh be
placed under Azerbaijan’s absolute sovereign control, he said.

"As regards guaranteeing the communities living in the Nagorno-
Karabakh region the right to self-determination, this is a compromise
on Azerbaijan’s part. Therefore, this compromise to which Azerbaijan
can agree is greatly important as such. Thus, our legitimate
expectation of a reciprocal step and a compromise from the opposing
party is absolutely justified," he said.

"I believe Armenia should abandon its extreme position, which implies
Nagorno-Karabakh’s secession from Azerbaijan," he said.