June 7, 2002 - 23:32 AMT
AZERI MASS MEDIA SPREAD FALSE INFORMATION ABOUT ARMENIAN FORCES PREPARING TO SURRENDER FOUR REGIONS OF LOWER KARABAKH
Making reference to diplomatic sources under the Council of Europe Azeri mass media report that in the course of Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian's recent visit to Strasbourg an agreement was allegedly reached regarding the Armenian forces surrendering four regions of the southern part of lower Karabakh to Azerbaijan. It is reported that in exchange official Yerevan counts on lifting the blockade of the railway communication through Nakhichevan. Let us note that June 3 in the course of the meeting with the members of the delegation of the British House of Lords Heydar Aliyev stated that the railway communication through Nakhichevan could only be opened on conditions that the Armenian forces surrender four regions controlled at present by the Nagorno Karabakh Republic defense army to Azerbaijan. The very regions, through which the railway trunk, which has connected Armenia with Azerbaijan, lies, are meant. As it is known, official Baku is more interested in operating the road through Nakhichevan than Yerevan is, as it is the only way to provide land communication with the autonomy forming part of the country. Nevertheless, Azerbaijan tries to put forward conditions, absurdity of which leaves no doubts they will not be accepted by Armenia. Let us remind that commenting on the possibility of surrender of a part of the security zone territories Armenian Defense Minister Serge Sargsian recently noted, "such talks are absurd and laughable." "Even being a philologist I am not able of finding words to describe the degree of immorality of those, who spread such rumor," - the minister stated.