Inclusion of the question on a referendum in the Karabakh framework agreement is a diplomatic defeat of the Azeri diplomacy, Azeri political scientist Hikmet Hajizade said. In his words, even if the Azeri Government does not agree to the condition of holding the referendum in NK, the fact of inclusion of the item itself in the agreement is already a diplomatic defeat.

«The authorities are now trying to assure the population of Azerbaijan that allegedly Matthew Bryza's statement is his own initiative and a referendum is out of question. I do not think 2006 will be a year of settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh issue, as Russia does not want it, as the tension in the South Caucasus will decrease, if the conflict is solved. Thus, even if Azerbaijan agrees to the conditions, Armenia will be against them,» he remarked.

Hajizade also emphasized that «Azeri authorities lack of capacity to provide for territorial integrity of their country and high corruption level caused the diplomatic defeat, too.» «The West is convinced that Azeri authorities cannot secure Armenian population. Even if the Azeri leadership manage to avoid signing the disgraceful peace treaty this time, the referendum issue will be included in all next agreements,» the Azeri political scientist believes, writes the Real Azerbaijan newspaper.