AZERBAIJAN DISSATISFIED WITH NAGORNO-KARABAKH TALKS: VICE SPEAKER

Trend News Agency
Feb 13 2009
Azerbaijan

The Azerbaijani parliamentary vice speaker said Azerbaijan is
dissatisfied with negotiations to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict.

"European and OSCE nations must work to resolve the conflict – their
interests in our energy aside," Vice Speaker and Azerbaijani OSCE
delegation head Bahar Muradova said at a meeting with OSCE Special
Envoy to Nagorno-Karabakh Goran Lenmarker on Feb. 13.

Lenmarker visited Azerbaijan as part of his trip to the South Caucasus.

The vice speaker said Azerbaijan wants peace in the region.

"Several countries can assist us in this process by making our position
clear at the OSCE winter session in Vienna," Muradova said.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan
lost all of Nagorno-Karabakh except for Shusha and Khojali in December
1991. In 1992-93, Armenian armed forces occupied Shusha, Khojali and 7
districts surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed
a ceasefire in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia,
France, and the U.S. – are currently holding the peace negotiations.

Azerbaijan is currently arranging a referendum which is vital for
national politics, Muradova said.

"The amendments to the Constitution include expanding the parliament’s
supervisory mechanism. The Constitution will be improved and human
rights protection will be guaranteed at the highest level after the
people support the referendum," Muradova said.

Azerbaijan will hold a referendum on March 18 to amend the
Constitution.