Bush hopes for Garabagh solution this year

President Aliyev received US ambassador to Azerbaijan Ross Wilson Monday. The US diplomat said he had met with President Bush, who shows a great interest in Azerbaijan and is eager to carry on working with the Azeri and Armenian presidents. "President Bush hopes that the Garabagh problem could be resolved till the end of this year", Mr. Wilson said.

"State Secretary Powell told me that he was interested to further work with Azerbaijan in a move to use all forces to prevent terrorism in all of its forms following the September 11. He is determined to work with Azerbaijan and help resolve the Garabagh dispute", the ambassador underscored.

The US diplomat updated President Aliyev on the progress in the repeal of Section 907 and said all the documents necessary had been ready for signing by President Bush. Mr. Wilson said official US delegates were expected to arrive in Baku in the upcoming two months to foster bilateral cooperation. A group of US officials will arrive first and negotiate economic cooperation within 10 days. This trip will be followed by US military experts.

President Aliyev said Azerbaijan adheres to the commitment it made in the wake of the September 11 terror attacks and is in the same front with the US in the fight against international terrorism and will do its best in this combat.

The Azeri President recalled that there is a global problem for Azerbaijan, the Garabagh conflict. The President expressed gratitude to President Bush for his optimistic sentiments about the solution. "I am also optimistic. We aspire to the solution most of all. But, I want this optimism and desire to be put to work. I will meet President Kocharian, but we need help. We stand for a fair solution and for this the Minsk Group and the US in particular should exert more efforts. This is the main challenge we are facing now", President Aliyev said.