BAKU: UK supports peaceful solution to Karabakh conflict

ANS TV, Azerbaijan
Sept 18 2009

UK supports peaceful solution to Karabakh conflict, British envoy says

[Presenter] British ambassador to Azerbaijan Carolyn Browne spoke
about her country’s foreign policy in a round table held at the
Strategic Research Centre [in Baku] today in the context of modern
geopolitical subject of Azerbaijani-British relations.

[Corespondent] The ambassador said that 100 large British companies
are operating in Azerbaijan and that she hopes that economic,
political and cultural relations between the two countries will be
expanded even further. Touching on energy issues, the ambassador said
that although British companies are not involved in the Nabucco gas
project, it is a very interesting and long-term project. Browne also
said that her country is in favour of fighting terrorism and
establishing peace in the world.

Browne said that when she first arrived in Azerbaijan, she was of the
opinion that the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict belonged to the category
of frozen conflicts. But she saw the opposite of this during her
tenure here, the ambassador said. She added that her country is in
favour of preventing and resolving conflicts.

[Carolyn Browne, speaking in English with overlaid translation into
Azerbaijani] Our country positively assesses Azerbaijan’s fulfilment
of its international commitments, sending of its troops to Afghanistan
and closer participation in other peacekeeping processes. Our country
is in favour of impartially resolving the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict
through the mediation of international organizations. Our country
strives for the resolution of conflicts in line with international
norms at both the UN and the European Union.

We also support the development of democratic institutions in
Azerbaijan and its aspirations to integrate into the European Union.