HEAD OF AZERBAIJANI COMMUNITY OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH BELIEVES STATEMENT OF U.S. DIPLOMAT WAS MISINTERPRETED
Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
Aug 8 2007
Azerbaijan, Baku / Òrend corr I. Alizadeh / If it tunes proof that
the statements published in the Vrema Novostey (News Time) newspaper
were made by the OSCE Minsk Group’s US co-chairman, the US Deputy
Assistant Secretary of State on Europe and Asia, Mathew Bryza, the
Azerbaijani Community of Nagorno-Karabakh will express its protest in
this connection, the head of the public association, Nizami Bahmanov,
reported.
Bahmanov believes the matter should be seriously investigated. "I do
not believe the US representative could make such a statement, for all
international organizations and all countries in the world, including
the United States, recognize Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. If
that was said by the US co-chairman, he will come under fire of the
Azerbaijani Community of Nagorno-Karabakh," Bahmanov noted.
According to him, if the co-chairman really made such a statement,
so he went beyond his commissions. If an investigation proves that,
Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry and the public should express a protest,"
Bahmanov urged. "At present the matter is investigated at the state
level," he added.
In his interview with the Russian Vrema Novostey Mathew Bryza compared
the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh with the situation in the United
States in the 18th century. Moreover, he noted the possibility of
independence for Nagorno-Karabakh.
The conflict between the two countries of South Caucasus began in 1988
due to territorial claims by Armenia against Azerbaijan. Armenia has
occupied 20% of the Azerbaijani land including the Nagorno-Karabakh
region and its seven surrounding Districts. Since 1992, these
territories have been under the occupation of the Armenian Forces. In
1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which time
the active hostilities ended. The Co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group
(Russia, France and USA) are currently holding peaceful negotiations.
–Boundary_(ID_TXSVNHjTkY8vmojhHP2t 9g)–