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BLAME GAME: ARMENIA, AZERBAIJAN IN ANOTHER EXCHANGE OF ACCUSATIONS OVER KARABAKH
http://armenianow.com/karabakh/40266/armenia_azerbaijan_karabakh_serzh_sargsyan_new_war
Karabakh | 08.10.12 | 11:05
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan has accused Azerbaijan of preparing
for war over Nagorno-Karabakh.
In an interview with the Reuters news agency, the Armenian leader
said Azerbaijan's government has been acquiring what he called a
"horrendous quantity" of arms to prepare for new fighting.
"Now, 18 years after the signing of this cease-fire agreement,
Azerbaijan threatens us with a new war," Sargsyan said.
He accused Azerbaijanis of having hatred toward Armenians and a
"general xenophobia." He said, however, that Armenia still hopes
for a negotiated settlement that would end the conflict between the
neighboring Caucasus states peacefully.
"When I say that there is hatred towards Armenians, a general
xenophobia in Azerbaijan; when I say there is a dangerous accumulation
of armaments in Azerbaijan; when I say Azerbaijan is getting prepared
for resuming military hostilities and settling the conflict by
military means, that doesn't mean at all that there is no need to
continue with negotiations," said Sargsyan.
In the interview, the Armenian president also spoke about the recent
pardon in Azerbaijan of an army officer, Ramil Safarov, who had been
sentenced to life in prison in Hungary for murdering an Armenian
officer in 2004. He said the move showed Nagorno-Karabakh could never
be part of Azerbaijan.
Meanwhile, officials in Azerbaijan discarded Sargsyan's statements as
"pure populism" aimed at enlisting the support of nationalist forces
and the Diaspora ahead of next year's presidential election.
"It is Armenia that has occupied the Azerbaijani territories and not
vice versa. This is what resolutions of different international
organizations point out," said Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry
representative Elman Abdullayev, as quoted by Russian news agency
Regnum.
The spokesman described Sargsyan's statements as "extremely impudent"
and said they were aimed at misleading the world community.
"May no one have doubts that sooner or later Azerbaijan will restore
its territorial integrity and sovereignty. This also concerns
the leadership of Armenia," said Abdullayev, adding that the world
community, including the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries, should
react to "any attempts of the leadership of Armenia" to protract the
settlement of the conflict.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
http://armenianow.com/karabakh/40266/armenia_azerbaijan_karabakh_serzh_sargsyan_new_war
Karabakh | 08.10.12 | 11:05
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan has accused Azerbaijan of preparing
for war over Nagorno-Karabakh.
In an interview with the Reuters news agency, the Armenian leader
said Azerbaijan's government has been acquiring what he called a
"horrendous quantity" of arms to prepare for new fighting.
"Now, 18 years after the signing of this cease-fire agreement,
Azerbaijan threatens us with a new war," Sargsyan said.
He accused Azerbaijanis of having hatred toward Armenians and a
"general xenophobia." He said, however, that Armenia still hopes
for a negotiated settlement that would end the conflict between the
neighboring Caucasus states peacefully.
"When I say that there is hatred towards Armenians, a general
xenophobia in Azerbaijan; when I say there is a dangerous accumulation
of armaments in Azerbaijan; when I say Azerbaijan is getting prepared
for resuming military hostilities and settling the conflict by
military means, that doesn't mean at all that there is no need to
continue with negotiations," said Sargsyan.
In the interview, the Armenian president also spoke about the recent
pardon in Azerbaijan of an army officer, Ramil Safarov, who had been
sentenced to life in prison in Hungary for murdering an Armenian
officer in 2004. He said the move showed Nagorno-Karabakh could never
be part of Azerbaijan.
Meanwhile, officials in Azerbaijan discarded Sargsyan's statements as
"pure populism" aimed at enlisting the support of nationalist forces
and the Diaspora ahead of next year's presidential election.
"It is Armenia that has occupied the Azerbaijani territories and not
vice versa. This is what resolutions of different international
organizations point out," said Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry
representative Elman Abdullayev, as quoted by Russian news agency
Regnum.
The spokesman described Sargsyan's statements as "extremely impudent"
and said they were aimed at misleading the world community.
"May no one have doubts that sooner or later Azerbaijan will restore
its territorial integrity and sovereignty. This also concerns
the leadership of Armenia," said Abdullayev, adding that the world
community, including the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries, should
react to "any attempts of the leadership of Armenia" to protract the
settlement of the conflict.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress