Yeni Musavat, Azerbaijan
Feb 14 2008
Azeri expert says Armenian ex-leader’s remarks on land swap
"unfounded"
An Azerbaijani political expert has dismissed as unfounded an
Armenian opposition presidential candidate’s remarks that Armenia
offered to swap lands with Azerbaijan during talks on breakaway
Nagornyy Karabakh in 1999.
"What Levon Ter-Petrosyan has said is unfounded. Armenia would never
agree to give away Meghri, as it is on Armenia’s border with Iran. To
give away this area would mean to close the Armenian-Iranian border,"
political expert Vafa Quluzada said in an interview with the
opposition Yeni Musavat newspaper, published on 14 February.
Quluzada, who at one time worked as the presidential adviser for
foreign policy issues, said that Ter-Petrosyan’s efforts to drum up
Moscow’s support deserved more attention.
"Moscow has long endorsed [Armenian Prime Minister and presidential
candidate] Serzh Sargsyan. Now they see great support for
Ter-Petrosyan in Armenia. If they appoint Sargsyan through vote
rigging, then this will cause a very tense situation and undermine
stability in Armenia," Quluzada said. "Russia is losing Armenia and
therefore, Moscow may endorse Ter-Petrosyan."
Commenting on Ter-Petrosyan’s two-day visit to Moscow on 12 February,
Quluzada said that Kremlin representatives might have invited him.
"They might have decided to hold talks with him seeing the support
for Ter-Petrosyan in Armenia and the West," Quluzada said. "Russia
understands that it cannot keep Armenia in isolation forever."
[translated from Azeri]
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
