BAKU: Political analyst says Armenia `not ready for concessions yet’

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Aug 26 2005

Political analyst says Armenia `not ready for concessions yet’

Baku, August 25, AssA-Irada

Armenia is not ready to make concessions in the settlement of the
Upper Garabagh conflict yet, said political analyst, head of the
Political Innovation and Technology Center Mubariz Ahmadoghlu.
The Azerbaijani and Armenian Presidents are due to meet in Kazan,
Russia on Saturday to gold the next round of negotiations.
`Expecting a specific agreement at this round of talks is illogical.
Armenians are not ready for concessions yet’, Ahmadoghlu said.
`The Kazan meeting is unlikely to be different than others. After the
meeting Azerbaijan should determine whether to continue peace talks
or resort to other means.’
Ahmadoghlu said that Russia stepped up its efforts in the negotiating
process and regarded this as positive. `Russians understand that the
continuing conflict weakens their position in CIS. It is therefore
important for them to be closely involved in assisting the conflict
resolution from the standpoint of re-asserting the influence they
have lost in the region.’*