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ANKARA: Azeri Official Hails Declaration With Armenia On Nagorno-Kar

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  • ANKARA: Azeri Official Hails Declaration With Armenia On Nagorno-Kar

    AZERI OFFICIAL HAILS DECLARATION WITH ARMENIA ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH

    Hurriyet
    Nov 3 2008
    Turkey

    A joint declaration by the Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian presidents
    on settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is very significant
    and reflects all aspects of the talks, a high level Azeri official
    was quoted by Azerbaijan's Trend News as saying Monday.

    Armenian President and his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev signed
    a declaration at the end of their meeting in Moscow on Sunday, and
    called for a "peaceful resolution" to their dispute over the province
    of Nagorno-Karabakh on the basis of "binding international guarantees".

    "There is no need to look for something new in signing of the
    document. The talks still continue and the document indicates their
    significance. Foundation is needed to be laid to shift to next stage,"
    Khazar Ibrahim, spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan,
    told reporters.

    "Oral statements are usually followed by the signing of a document. It
    was necessary to sign the document. Azerbaijan is determined to
    continue talks. The next stages of the talks are not known yet,"
    Ibrahim said.

    The conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia began in 1988 on Armenian
    territorial claims over Azerbaijan.

    Since 1992, Armenian Armed Forces have occupied 20 percent of
    Azerbaijan including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven
    surrounding districts, displacing 10 percent of the Azeri population
    in the series of bloody clashes both between and within the two
    neighboring countries.

    In 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which
    time the active hostilities ended. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk
    Group are currently holding peaceful negotiations.

    Nearly 30,000 were killed in the 1990s war over the enclave and
    soldiers on both sides continue to exchange sporadic fire, claiming
    lives.

    BRYZA WELCOMES DECLARATION Matthew Bryza, the American co-chair of
    the OSCE Minsk Group, also said the declaration is a very important
    step towards resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

    "It is constructive character and contains several important items -
    a solution to the conflict only through political means and the point
    that the country would solve the conflict, together with the OSCE
    Minsk Group," Bryza told Trend News.

    The declaration would give the co-chairs the space and opportunities
    for further successful negotiations to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh
    conflict, he said.

    RUSSIA KEEN TO MAINTAIN INFLUENCE The Kremlin says that the principle
    position of Russia in the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement is that the
    final choice regarding the status of disputed territories must be
    made by Armenians and Azerbaijanis.

    Moscow also says it would support a solution that satisfies both
    sides and is ready to act as a settlement guarantor.

    Analysts say Moscow is keen to maintain influence in Armenia, its
    main ally in the Caucasus, after the conflict between Russia and
    U.S.-allied Georgia in August raised tensions throughout the region.

    The August war, which began when Georgia attacked its own breakaway
    enclave of South Ossetia, raised fears of similar violence in
    Nagorno-Karabakh.
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