MATTHEW BRYZA: AZERBAIJANI MISSION TO OSCE HAS SENT A LETTER FOR DISSOLVING OF MINSK GROUP
Azeri Press Agency
March 27 2008
Azerbaijan
Baku. Tamara Grigorieva – APA. "I would not speculate on the news
spread by the Armenian newspapers about Azerbaijani refusal from
the OSCE Minsk Group mediation in the process of settlement of the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict", said Matthew Bryza, US co-chairman of
the OSCE Minsk Group in his exclusive interview with APA.
He said Azerbaijani mission to OSCE has sent a letter for the
dissolving of the Minsk Group: "I have no idea that this letter
demonstrates position of the highest level of Azerbaijani government.
It is time for serious diplomats to do serious work and playing around
with gestures that is not intended to have the practical impact on
advancing the negotiation is not constructive. I think that we need
get back to work and I would hope that the government of Azerbaijan
will continue to behave with us as a strong friend, strong partner
with which it has engaged in the issue of strategic importance. What I
can do is to call our strong partner Azerbaijan for rejuvenation all
of the hard work and progress we have been making toward finalizing
the basic principals".
Azerbaijani deputy foreign minister Araz Azimov stated that the
Baku officials have sent a letter to OSCE Secretariat to know the
procedure of changing the countries and persons of Minsk Group
Co-Chairs. A.Azimov has also emphasized that Azerbaijan has not
supported the changing of Minsk Group format. He said it was only
fabricated by Armenia and mediators. Azerbaijani government advocates
for the effective negotiations within this framework. "The co-chairs
could not represent the whole Minsk Group. They are representing
themselves, not the Minsk Group in the negotiations with Azerbaijan and
Armenia. It is not a responsibility of the co-chairs to make statement
on behalf of the Minsk Group", said Araz Azimov and emphasized that
Azerbaijan is continuing cooperation with the co-chairs and at the same
time has sent a letter to the OSCE Secretariat for the researching of
mechanism of recalling or replacing the mediators. "We simply want
to know how to do this in case of necessity, because Azerbaijan is
also a member of the Minsk Group like the US, Russia and France".
US, Russia and France while being the OSCE Minsk Group members voted
against the resolution on "Situation in Occupied Territories of
Azerbaijan" in the 62nd session of the UN General Assembly and have
caused a serious protest in Azerbaijan.