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AAA: Assembly Rep. Challenges Azeri President's Remarks

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  • AAA: Assembly Rep. Challenges Azeri President's Remarks

    Armenian Assembly of America
    122 C Street, NW, Suite 350
    Washington, DC 20001
    Phone: 202-393-3434
    Fax: 202-638-4904
    Email: [email protected]
    Web: www.armenianassembly.org

    PRESS RELEASE
    October 7, 2004
    CONTACT: Christine Kojoian
    E-mail: [email protected]

    ASSEMBLY REPRESENTATIVE CHALLENGES AZERI PRESIDENT'S REMARKS ON NK CONFLICT
    DURING A FORUM AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

    Washington, DC - The Armenian Assembly of America commended one of its own
    for challenging Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to explain his
    mischaracterizations of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and blaming Armenia
    for the stalled peace talks.

    Christina Lehmejian-Karaszewski, the Assembly's volunteer representative to
    the United Nation's NGO Human Rights Committee, questioned the Azeri leader
    on September 24 following a speech at Columbia University in New York City.
    In his prepared remarks, Aliyev focused heavily on the territorial dispute,
    naming Armenia as the aggressor and demanding the withdrawal of Armenian
    troops who he claims are in violation of UN Security Council resolutions. He
    also touted the progressiveness of his government, citing its economic and
    social reforms and integration in the international community.

    Lehmejian-Karaszewski particularly took issue with Aliyev's statements
    regarding Azeri society which he called "tolerant and conscientious,"
    despite several damaging reports from international watchdog groups who have
    identified the country as one of the most corrupt and oppressive regimes in
    the world. Aliyev was evasive in responding to Lehmejian-Karaszewski on
    this as well as the Karabakh issue, steering clear of the question regarding
    Azeri society altogether and once again tagging Armenia as the aggressor in
    the NK conflict.

    According to the Columbia Daily Spectator, Aliyev, who is the son of former
    President Heydar Aliyev, also said that the NK "negotiations cannot go on
    forever," and that Baku reserves the right to restore territorial
    sovereignty "by any means." He was also critical of the international
    community, who he blamed for failing to intervene in the conflict and
    enforce the resolutions that the Security Council passed more than a decade
    ago.

    The Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide
    organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian
    issues. It is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.



    NR#2004-089
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