May 24, 2006 - 17:15 AMT
OSCE MG Co-Chairs' Statements Don't Inspire Optimism, Baku Says
The statements by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs on the development of some new solution variants of the Nagorno Karabakh problem do not inspire optimism, Azeri Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov stated.

"By producing such statements, the Co-chairs desire only to raise the importance of their activities before the public," said Azimov. "Undoubtedly, they need to vindicate their activities, and therefore, we hear about new ideas every time. It is obvious that they need to inform and direct the public opinion," said Azimov.

He stressed that there are some issues the solution of which will be possible only after certain steps for the Karabakh conflict settlement. "These steps should be submitted to Azerbaijan in a clear form," Azimov remarked.

According to him, these steps first of all are related to the release of Azerbaijani territories around Nagorno Karabakh. "All these steps should be taken in a stepwise manner, and only then official Baku may express its position on other questions," said Azimov, reported Trend news agency.