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Moscow sees hopeful signs in Karabakh settlement

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  • Moscow sees hopeful signs in Karabakh settlement

    ITAR-TASS News Agency
    TASS
    August 24, 2005 Wednesday

    Moscow sees hopeful signs in Karabakh settlement

    By Ksenia Kaminskaya
    MOSCOW


    Russia's Foreign Ministry said Wednesday "hopeful signs have appeared
    in the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement."

    "This may see further development at the upcoming meeting between
    Presidents Robert Kocharyan and Ilkham Aliyev," a diplomatic source
    said.

    Wednesday reports said the meeting between the Azerbaijani and
    Armenian leaders would take place in Kazan on August 27.

    On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with his
    colleagues from Armenia and Azerbaijan.

    Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanyan and his Azerbaijani
    counterpart Elmar Mamedyarov held consultations in Moscow which were
    attended by international mediators - the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk
    group /Russia, the United States and France/.

    Lavrov underscored Moscow's intention "to create all the conditions
    for achieving progress in settling the Nagorno Karabakh problem."

    He underlined that he could not comment on the negotiations which are
    steered by the co-chairpersons of the OSCE Minsk group.

    They certainly have ideas, the Russian minister noted.

    Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanyan said Yerevan and Baku can
    hopefully find "common denominators" in resolving the Nagorno
    Karabakh problem.

    "There is hope that we'll find common denominators; it would bring
    peace and stability to southern Caucasus," Oskanyan said.

    Oskanyan said the self-determination of Nagorno Karabakh is the
    priority in settling the conflict, which should manifest itself in
    the right of its population to take care of their fate on their own.

    The remaining issues such as the elimination of the consequences of
    the conflict, the territorial problem and the return of refugees stem
    from this priority and will follow it, he noted.

    Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov gave a positive
    valuation to the Moscow meeting. However, he believes it is premature
    to talk about any headway in resolving the conflict.

    It is necessary to actively work on the settlement. There is an
    opportunity "to arrive at a common denominator for this problem," he
    said.

    The negotiations over the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
    began on September 23, 1991 and involved Russia, Kazakhstan,
    Azerbaijan and Armenia.

    In February-May 1992, the OSCE joined the settlement efforts.

    The fighting in the conflict zone ceased on May 12, 1994. The
    negotiations are held within the framework of the Minsk group,
    co-chaired by Russia, the United States and France.
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