AZERBAIJAN TO TRY "OTHER WAYS" OF HANDLING N. KARABAKH CONFLICT IF TALKS FAIL

Interfax
Jan 25 2010
Russia

Azeri television on Saturday quoted the Azeri president’s chief of
staff as saying Azerbaijan "will apparently have to look for other
ways" if the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict proves impossible to settle
through talks.

"We are trying to resolve the conflict in a peaceful way. If a peaceful
resolution of the conflict is not found, we will apparently have to
look for other ways. We must liberate our lands. We will not give our
lands to anyone as a gift," Ramiz Mekhtiyev, President Ilham Aliyev’s
chief of staff, was quoted by ANS channel as saying.

Mekhtiyev was speaking in connection with a planned meeting in Sochi,
Russia, on Monday between Aliyev and the presidents of Armenia and
Russia, Serzh Sargsyan and Dmitry Medvedev.

"I believe that our people are prepared for the resolution of the
problem in appropriate form. Naturally, we are trying to resolve
this problem in a peaceful way, and President Ilham Aliyev is making
numerous attempts to that end, he is holding meetings, he is working,"
Mekhtiyev said.