A senior Azerbaijani official has accused the USA of supporting Armenia and backed Turkey's position on Karabakh.
Ali Hasanov, head of the public policy department at the presidential administration, criticized the US position to journalists on Thursday.
'The United States often takes a unilateral position supporting Armenia. We urge the United States to take a neutral position,' Hasanov said.
He referred to the USA's role as one of three countries co-chairing the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's Minsk Group which is mediating a settlement to the Karabakh conflict.
'We are not satisfied with US activity within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group. We say this openly. Azerbaijan has repeatedly raised the issue of the violation of its rights in Nagorno-Karabakh and its territorial integrity. However, unfortunately, some US circles and institutions, influenced by the Armenian lobby, often lose neutrality and provide open support to Armenia,' Hasanov said.
He said that recent US actions aimed to help Armenia economically. 'At the same time, no one takes into account the occupying policy of Armenia in the region and does not try to persuade it to give up this policy. US efforts are aimed at getting Armenia out of the tough economic situation, and at the same time Washington puts pressure on neighbouring countries, including Turkey, demanding the creation of political and economic ties with Armenia,' he said.
According to Hasanov, this does not comply with the United States' mission as an OSCE Minsk Group co-chair. 'If the United States wants peace in the region, the resolution of the conflict, an improvement in the socioeconomic situation in Armenia and its participation in transnational projects, they should make Yerevan give up its policy of occupation,' he said.
In contrast, Hasanov expressed satisfaction with Turkey's position on Karabakh. He said the Turkish leadership had repeatedly stated and continued to insist that unless Armenia withdrew from the occupied lands and the Karabakh issue was settled, there would be no close cooperation between Yerevan and Ankara and the border between Armenia and Turkey would not be opened.
'We are fully satisfied with Turkey’s stance on the Karabakh issue. The diplomatic, economic, social and cultural relations within the framework of the slogan “One nation-two states” are unique in the world and we are not going to spoil them at anyone’s instruction.'
'Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu indicated at meetings in Washington that the creation of normal socioeconomic relations between Turkey and Armenia was not possible until the settlement of the Karabakh conflict, diplomatic breakthroughs on the Azerbaijani-Armenian front and the withdrawal of Armenia's occupying forces from the occupied lands,' Hasanov said.
'Therefore, we fully support Ankara's policy on this issue,' he said.
Hasanov's remarks came a day after Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev accused the international community of indifference towards the Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani land.
'Certainly, when our interests are ignored, the occupation of our lands is not taken into account and attempts are made to help the occupying country get out of its tough economic state, the Azerbaijani community cannot accept this', Aliyev told an expanded session of the Cabinet of Ministers on Wednesday.
On Tuesday US President Barack Obama met Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Washington. According to Turkish diplomatic sources, Obama promised Erdogan to spare no effort for the resolution of the Karabakh conflict, but no mention of this was made in the official White House report of the meeting.
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