ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
June 20, 2005 Monday
Azerbaijan calls for restoring traffic to Nakhichevan via Karabakh
By Sevindzh Abdullayeva and Viktor Shulman
BAKU
Azerbaijan calls for restoring traffic to Nakhichevan via
Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia, including via the Lachin district of
Azerbaijan, Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov said.
Azimov, who is also the president’s special envoy for the talks on
Nagorno-Karabakh settlement, said on Monday this initiative had been
put forth in Paris as part of the talks between the Azerbaijani and
Armenian foreign ministers, as well as co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk
Group for Nagorno-Karabakh. “Both sides will use this road on the
equal basis. No one is interested in blocking it or creating any
obstacles for traffic,” the deputy minister said.
In his view, this project “has great political significance because
it will help create confidence-building measures between Azerbaijan
and Armenia.”
The diplomat stressed that it is necessary to restore certain
sections of traffic and create links between them. Azimov said
financial aid would be provided by the U.N., the EU, several
international organisations and donor countries that had pledged it
after the political settlement of the conflict.
In addition, he said, “At the initial stage international forces may
ensure security of traffic and other links.”