ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY: "AZERBAIJAN RUINED POSSIBILITY OF PRESIDENTIAL MEETING IN BUCHAREST"
Today
litics/43855.html
March 28 2008
Azerbaijan
The announcements and actions of Azerbaijan’s senior officials have
nothing to do with their commitments to continue process of peaceful
resolution of Nagorno Karabakh conflict.
The due announcement is contained in a statement of the acting
spokesman for Armenian Foreign Ministry Tigran Balayan regarding the
recent declarations made by Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan
Araz Azimov.
The next day following the voting in the UN General Assembly on the
resolution regarding Nagorno Karabakh, on March 15, Azimov did not
exclude that if necessary the co-chairmanship institute of the OSCE
Minsk Group, formed in 1997, can be replaced.
The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on Nagorno Karabakh
demanding the immediate withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from the
occupied lands of Azerbaijan, which requests to confirm its right
for Nagorno Karabakh and adjacent regions with 39 countries voting
for, 7 against and 100 abstained from voting on March 14. The United
States, France and Russia, which are co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group,
voted against the resolution.
"Despite the statement of Azimov, the letter, which Azerbaijan sent
to the OSCE, was connected with possible breaking up of the OSCE Minsk
Group, which was done before the voting in the UN General Assembly on
the Baku-initiated draft resolution on Nagorno Karabakh", Balayan said.
He noted that it proves the falseness and demonstrativeness of the
statements of some senior officials of Azerbaijan.
According to Balayan, this is also proven by the fact that Azerbaijan
ruined possibility of presidential meeting which was to be held in
April at the NATO summit in Bucharest.
"We agree with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs and we do hope that this
step and the opinion voiced by Azimov, does not reflect the position
of Azerbaijan leadership", Balayan said.
OSCE Minsk Group co-chair Matthew Bryza does not consider that
Azerbaijan’s request on breaking up the OSCE Minsk Group reflects
the country’s position on the highest level.
Commenting on the information that Azerbaijan has sent a request on
suspension of the mediatory mission of the OSCE Minsk Group on the
Karabakh conflict settlement, Bryza voiced doubt that the request
reflects the position of the Azerbaijani government on the highest
level.