AZERBAIJAN EXPRESSES BEWILDERMENT WITH U.S. POSITION ON RAMIL SAFAROV
Azerbaijan Business Center
Sept 4 2012
Baku, Fineko/abc.az. Since Friday, the day of his extradition to Baku
and pardon by President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, Ramil Safarov has
been remaining in the centre of foreign policy activity of the country.
Press-secretary of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs Elman
Abdullayev informed of yesterday's phone conversation between Foreign
Minister Elmar Mammadyarov of Azerbaijan and the U.S. Deputy Secretary
of State William Burns.
"In the conversation our minister voiced perplexity with the U.S.
position on the issue of Safarov's extradition. The minister stressed
that precisely Azerbaijan is suffering from the occupation of its
territory by Armenia. Mammadyarov underlined that the issue of Safarov
should not be considered outside the context of the fact of occupation,
as it is a consequence of the aggression of Armenia," Abdullayev said.
The same position was expressed by Mammadyarov at a meeting held
in Paris with the OSCE Minsk Group on the matter of settlement of
Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno Garabagh conflict. However, it did not
find support of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, who expressed concern
about the pardon of Ramil Safarov in Azerbaijan.
"In the meeting with the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan
on 2 and 3 September the MG co-chairs expressed deep concern and
regret on the fact that the pardon and efforts aimed to praise the
crime harmed the peace process and the trust between the parties,"
the mediators' statement says.
At that, the co-chairs reiterated the lack of alternative for peaceful
settlement of the Garabagh conflict. They also stated that they would
continue to maintain contacts with Armenia and Azerbaijan in order
to reduce tensions and promote the peaceful process of the Garabagh
conflict.
Azerbaijan Business Center
Sept 4 2012
Baku, Fineko/abc.az. Since Friday, the day of his extradition to Baku
and pardon by President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, Ramil Safarov has
been remaining in the centre of foreign policy activity of the country.
Press-secretary of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs Elman
Abdullayev informed of yesterday's phone conversation between Foreign
Minister Elmar Mammadyarov of Azerbaijan and the U.S. Deputy Secretary
of State William Burns.
"In the conversation our minister voiced perplexity with the U.S.
position on the issue of Safarov's extradition. The minister stressed
that precisely Azerbaijan is suffering from the occupation of its
territory by Armenia. Mammadyarov underlined that the issue of Safarov
should not be considered outside the context of the fact of occupation,
as it is a consequence of the aggression of Armenia," Abdullayev said.
The same position was expressed by Mammadyarov at a meeting held
in Paris with the OSCE Minsk Group on the matter of settlement of
Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno Garabagh conflict. However, it did not
find support of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, who expressed concern
about the pardon of Ramil Safarov in Azerbaijan.
"In the meeting with the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan
on 2 and 3 September the MG co-chairs expressed deep concern and
regret on the fact that the pardon and efforts aimed to praise the
crime harmed the peace process and the trust between the parties,"
the mediators' statement says.
At that, the co-chairs reiterated the lack of alternative for peaceful
settlement of the Garabagh conflict. They also stated that they would
continue to maintain contacts with Armenia and Azerbaijan in order
to reduce tensions and promote the peaceful process of the Garabagh
conflict.