February 12, 2004 - 17:21 AMT
BAKU READY TO START KARABAKH TALKS FROM BLAND PRINT, AZERI FOREIGN MINISTRY STATED
Baku considers it possible to start talks with Yerevan over Nagorno Karabakh from a zero point, Azeri foreign minister Vilayat Guliyev told journalists, Interfax agency reported. "One will be able to speak of the principles in negotiation process only after these are accepted by both parties and it is possible to move forward based on them. Today there is no such a principle in the Karabakh settlement that is accepted by both parties, thus Azerbaijan is fully entitled to start the talks from a zero point," he said. "Actually, if no issue was settled during the talks, this means the negotiation process is still at the zero point. The Armenian party just wants to impose some proposals to Azerbaijan, but it will never manage," the minister emphasized.