AZERBAIJAN ‘NOT SATISFIED’ WITH USA’S KARABAKH MEDIATION
news.az
April 15 2010
Azerbaijan
Ali Hasanov A senior Azerbaijani official has accused the USA of
supporting Armenia and backed Turkey’s position on Karabakh.
Ali Hasanov, head of the public policy department at the presidential
administration, criticized the US position to journalists on Thursday
‘The United States often takes a unilateral position supporting
Armenia. We urge the United States to take a neutral position,’
Hasanov said.
He referred to the USA’s role as one of three countries co-chairing
the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s Minsk Group
which is mediating a settlement to the Karabakh conflict.
‘We are not satisfied with US activity within the framework of the
OSCE Minsk Group. We say this openly. Azerbaijan has repeatedly raised
the issue of the violation of its rights in Nagorno-Karabakh and its
territorial integrity. However, unfortunately, some US circles and
institutions, influenced by the Armenian lobby, often lose neutrality
and provide open support to Armenia,’ Hasanov said.
He said that recent US actions aimed to help Armenia economically. ‘At
the same time, no one takes into account the occupying policy of
Armenia in the region and does not try to persuade it to give up
this policy. US efforts are aimed at getting Armenia out of the tough
economic situation, and at the same time Washington puts pressure on
neighbouring countries, including Turkey, demanding the creation of
political and economic ties with Armenia,’ he said.
According to Hasanov, this does not comply with the United States’
mission as an OSCE Minsk Group co-chair. ‘If the United States wants
peace in the region, the resolution of the conflict, an improvement
in the socioeconomic situation in Armenia and its participation in
transnational projects, they should make Yerevan give up its policy
of occupation,’ he said.
In contrast, Hasanov expressed satisfaction with Turkey’s position on
Karabakh. He said the Turkish leadership had repeatedly stated and
continued to insist that unless Armenia withdrew from the occupied
lands and the Karabakh issue was settled, there would be no close
cooperation between Yerevan and Ankara and the border between Armenia
and Turkey would not be opened.
‘We are fully satisfied with Turkey’s stance on the Karabakh issue.
The diplomatic, economic, social and cultural relations within the
framework of the slogan "One nation-two states" are unique in the
world and we are not going to spoil them at anyone’s instruction.’
‘Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister
Ahmet Davutoglu indicated at meetings in Washington that the creation
of normal socioeconomic relations between Turkey and Armenia was not
possible until the settlement of the Karabakh conflict, diplomatic
breakthroughs on the Azerbaijani-Armenian front and the withdrawal
of Armenia’s occupying forces from the occupied lands,’ Hasanov said.
‘Therefore, we fully support Ankara’s policy on this issue,’ he said.
Hasanov’s remarks came a day after Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev accused the international community of indifference towards
the Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani land.
‘Certainly, when our interests are ignored, the occupation of our lands
is not taken into account and attempts are made to help the occupying
country get out of its tough economic state, the Azerbaijani community
cannot accept this’, Aliyev told an expanded session of the Cabinet
of Ministers on Wednesday.
On Tuesday US President Barack Obama met Turkish Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan in Washington. According to Turkish diplomatic sources,
Obama promised Erdogan to spare no effort for the resolution of the
Karabakh conflict, but no mention of this was made in the official
White House report of the meeting.