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ANS TV, Azerbaijan
Nov 23 2006
RUSSIA MAY SPUR SOLUTION TO KARABAKH CONFLICT - AZERI EXPERT
[Presenter] Baku has agreed to participate in the next round of talks
on the Nagornyy Karabakh resolution at the level of the Azerbaijani
and Armenian presidents.
[Passage omitted: work under way to set the exact date of the
presidents' meeting]
[Correspondent over video of Tahir Tagizada, spokesman for the
Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry] The head of the press and information
policy department of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, Tahir
Tagizada, has told ANS that the conflicting sides and the OSCE Minsk
Group co-chairs are now working to set the exact date of the meeting.
Touching on the co-chairs' Baku consultations, Tagizada said that the
talks were constructive and the mediators expressed their intention
to draw the positions of the conflicting sides closer. The co-chairs
expressed their hope that during their meeting due in Minsk the
presidents will make a step forward in the resolution principles
confirmed at the last session of the G8 countries. Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev and his Armenian counterpart Robert Kocharyan
will have their third meeting this year.
[Passage omitted: Minsk Group was set up in Minsk 14 years ago]
Numerous experts think that it seems realistic now that the
conflicting sides may reach an agreement in this city after 14 years.
[Political expert Rasim Musabayov, speaking in Baku street] Russia,
Paris and the USA naturally approach the issue with jealousy. Russia
would not like this [agreement] to be announced in the USA or Paris,
and likewise they would not want it to be declared in Moscow. Maybe,
from this standpoint the best venue for announcing the agreement
acceptable for everybody is Minsk.
[Correspondent] On the other hand, the regional situation is
completely different now. Russia, which plays an important role in
the resolution of the conflict, has to pursue a different policy now.
Political expert Musabayov thinks that the success of the talks
mainly depends on Russian President Vladimir Putin's position.
[Musabayov] Neither [French President] Jacques Chirac, [US President
George] Bush nor [US Secretary of State] Condoleezza Rice will be
there. That is to say, it is up to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin
to spur the process to some extent and reach a certain result. One
can ask whether Russia will want this. It did not want this so far.
In exchange for progress [in the talks], it wanted Azerbaijan to meet
its interests to the proportions which were completely inadmissible.
The situation has changed now. Worsening Georgian-Russian relations
and the existence of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict leads to the
complete loss of communication between Russia and Armenia.
[Correspondent] The expert thinks that Baku's recent serious
intentions regarding the Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi-Baku railway
construction may also impact Russia's stance on the conflict. The
point is that, if the project materializes, this will be the third
project out of Moscow's sphere of influence.
[Musabayov] It will take NATO and Turkish forces 10 hours to reach
the Caspian Sea coast by that railway. Of course, Russia does not
want this. In this case, there is a chance that Russia may think it
over, use its reputation and opportunities and urge Armenians to give
up their false claims. Otherwise, there is no chance.
[Correspondent] The co-chairs have stated that the conflicting sides
are now discussing two principal issues. One of them is the use of
Lacin and Kalbacar districts as a transit corridor and the second is
the conduct of a referendum to define Nagornyy Karabakh's status.
Baku and Yerevan still differ on the referendum. Armenia insists on
the conduct of the referendum maximum in five years, whereas
Azerbaijan thinks the voting is possible at an international level
with the participation of foreign experts only after Baku gives its
consent. The participation of Azerbaijanis displaced from occupied
territories in the referendum is one of the main conditions put
forward by Baku.
Ayaz Nizamioglu, Ramin Yaqubov, ANS.
Nov 23 2006
RUSSIA MAY SPUR SOLUTION TO KARABAKH CONFLICT - AZERI EXPERT
[Presenter] Baku has agreed to participate in the next round of talks
on the Nagornyy Karabakh resolution at the level of the Azerbaijani
and Armenian presidents.
[Passage omitted: work under way to set the exact date of the
presidents' meeting]
[Correspondent over video of Tahir Tagizada, spokesman for the
Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry] The head of the press and information
policy department of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, Tahir
Tagizada, has told ANS that the conflicting sides and the OSCE Minsk
Group co-chairs are now working to set the exact date of the meeting.
Touching on the co-chairs' Baku consultations, Tagizada said that the
talks were constructive and the mediators expressed their intention
to draw the positions of the conflicting sides closer. The co-chairs
expressed their hope that during their meeting due in Minsk the
presidents will make a step forward in the resolution principles
confirmed at the last session of the G8 countries. Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev and his Armenian counterpart Robert Kocharyan
will have their third meeting this year.
[Passage omitted: Minsk Group was set up in Minsk 14 years ago]
Numerous experts think that it seems realistic now that the
conflicting sides may reach an agreement in this city after 14 years.
[Political expert Rasim Musabayov, speaking in Baku street] Russia,
Paris and the USA naturally approach the issue with jealousy. Russia
would not like this [agreement] to be announced in the USA or Paris,
and likewise they would not want it to be declared in Moscow. Maybe,
from this standpoint the best venue for announcing the agreement
acceptable for everybody is Minsk.
[Correspondent] On the other hand, the regional situation is
completely different now. Russia, which plays an important role in
the resolution of the conflict, has to pursue a different policy now.
Political expert Musabayov thinks that the success of the talks
mainly depends on Russian President Vladimir Putin's position.
[Musabayov] Neither [French President] Jacques Chirac, [US President
George] Bush nor [US Secretary of State] Condoleezza Rice will be
there. That is to say, it is up to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin
to spur the process to some extent and reach a certain result. One
can ask whether Russia will want this. It did not want this so far.
In exchange for progress [in the talks], it wanted Azerbaijan to meet
its interests to the proportions which were completely inadmissible.
The situation has changed now. Worsening Georgian-Russian relations
and the existence of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict leads to the
complete loss of communication between Russia and Armenia.
[Correspondent] The expert thinks that Baku's recent serious
intentions regarding the Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi-Baku railway
construction may also impact Russia's stance on the conflict. The
point is that, if the project materializes, this will be the third
project out of Moscow's sphere of influence.
[Musabayov] It will take NATO and Turkish forces 10 hours to reach
the Caspian Sea coast by that railway. Of course, Russia does not
want this. In this case, there is a chance that Russia may think it
over, use its reputation and opportunities and urge Armenians to give
up their false claims. Otherwise, there is no chance.
[Correspondent] The co-chairs have stated that the conflicting sides
are now discussing two principal issues. One of them is the use of
Lacin and Kalbacar districts as a transit corridor and the second is
the conduct of a referendum to define Nagornyy Karabakh's status.
Baku and Yerevan still differ on the referendum. Armenia insists on
the conduct of the referendum maximum in five years, whereas
Azerbaijan thinks the voting is possible at an international level
with the participation of foreign experts only after Baku gives its
consent. The participation of Azerbaijanis displaced from occupied
territories in the referendum is one of the main conditions put
forward by Baku.
Ayaz Nizamioglu, Ramin Yaqubov, ANS.