BAKU CRITICIZES U.S. FOR NAGORNO-KARABAKH SETTLEMENT POLICY

Interfax
April 21 2010
Russia

Azerbaijan does not want its relationship with the U.S. to worsen
and hopes that Washington will change its current approach toward the
settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Azerbaijani presidential
spokesman Ali Hasanov told journalists on Wednesday.

"We believe that they will be objective till the end in the Nagorno-
Karabakh conflict settlement process," Hasanov said.

"We don’t want to damage relations with the U.S. on other issues
either, and we don’t want to harm our partnership with that country.

However, circumstances sometimes force us to do so," he said.

Public discontent in Azerbaijan about Washington’s policy in the region
"has had a certain effect on the U.S. centers planning government
policy," he said.

"We hope the U.S. will retain its healthy and partner-like position
on Azerbaijan, and we will honor all our commitments related to their
interests," he said.

Several days ago, Hasanov reproached the U.S. for caring too much about
improving Armenia’s economic conditions rather than concentrating
efforts to secure the withdrawal of Armenian troops from occupied
Azerbaijani territories.

This policy has frustrated the Azerbaijani public about the regional
role of the U.S. and may prompt Baku to revise its relations with
Washington in various ways, he said.