AZERBAIJAN RAPS U.S. MEDIATOR’S STATEMENT ON N.-KARABAKH

Interfax
May 12 2009
Russia

Azerbaijan has accused international mediators of a groundlessly
positive interpretation of a recent Azeri- Armenian summit on the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and of "ongoing sympathies for Armenia –
the aggressor country."

The Co-chairmen also have a vested interest in slowing down the
conflict settlement process, which "is like a career for them," ANS
television’s website quoted Nevruz Mehmedov, head of the Azeri foreign
relations department of the president’s office, as saying on Tuesday.

The target of Mehmedov’s comments, was a statement by Matthew
Bryza, U.S. co-chairman of the Minsk Group, the mediating body
for the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict appointed by the Organization
for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), that the Azeri and
Armenian presidents, Ilham Aliyev and Serzh Sargsyan, had agreed
basic principles for a conflict settlement at their meeting in Prague.

"[Armenia] was unwilling to make a single step toward the resolution
of the conflict and reiterated its claims to Azeri territory.

Despite that, without [Azeri] consent and without consulting the
Azeri president, [the co-chairmen] issued a statement supporting the
position of the Armenian president, and apparently the position of
the co-chairmen themselves," Mehmedov said.

"[The co-chairmen] are misinforming the international public and the
president and secretary of state of the United States by speaking about
progress in the negotiation process, about the parties having moved
their positions closer together, etc. All this is further evidence
of ongoing sympathies for Armenia – the aggressor country – and of
defense of its interests. But, on the other hand, the co-chairmen
need the process to slow down, they need more trips and need to stay
in their jobs. It is like a career for them," Mehmedov said.

The Minsk Group’s other two co-chairmen represent Russia and France.