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FM: RUSSIA HOPES STATEMENT ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH TO BE SIGNED IN ASTANA
Trend, E.Tariverdiyeva
Trend
Nov 30 2010
Azerbaijan
Russia works in close contact with the Americans and the French as
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei
Lavrov said in an interview to the Voice of Russia.
"Ahead of the Astana summit, they met with the leadership of Armenia
and Azerbaijan. They are tasked with preparing a declaration in time
for the Astana summit, which Baku, Yerevan and the co-chairs can sign.
We hope this will be possible," he said.
The OSCE has not held such a summit for 11 years. The OSCE summit
will be held in Astana on Dec. 1-2 and will bring together presidents
and prime ministers from 56 OSCE member countries and 12 OSCE partner
countries, as well as the heads of 68 international organizations.
During the summit, there are plans to discuss Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
during the meeting of Presidents Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan and Serzh
Sargsyan of Armenia.
According to him, over recent years, a relative lull has been recorded
in the line of contact in the region. "But I can not say that at the
Astana summit, a real breakthrough will be achieved in terms of the
conflict settlement. This is very painstaking work," Lavrov said.
Russia is facilitating the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
as one of the three co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, as well as in
its national capacity, given our good neighbourly relations with both
Armenia and Azerbaijan, he said.
"Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is personally involved in this
issue. He has already held seven or eight meetings with the Azeri
and Armenian presidents, in the course of which there were serious
attempts to get to the bottom of still existing divergences, and
get past differences of position. His aim is to develop the first
collective all-encompassing document titled "Key Principles of
Resolution", which will set the main guidelines for working out a
legally binding final peace agreement," said the minister.
According to him, agreement has been reached on the vast majority of
principles that could lay the foundation for the resolution. "However,
there are still some serious problems," he said.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the United
States - are currently holding the peace negotiations.
From: A. Papazian
Trend, E.Tariverdiyeva
Trend
Nov 30 2010
Azerbaijan
Russia works in close contact with the Americans and the French as
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei
Lavrov said in an interview to the Voice of Russia.
"Ahead of the Astana summit, they met with the leadership of Armenia
and Azerbaijan. They are tasked with preparing a declaration in time
for the Astana summit, which Baku, Yerevan and the co-chairs can sign.
We hope this will be possible," he said.
The OSCE has not held such a summit for 11 years. The OSCE summit
will be held in Astana on Dec. 1-2 and will bring together presidents
and prime ministers from 56 OSCE member countries and 12 OSCE partner
countries, as well as the heads of 68 international organizations.
During the summit, there are plans to discuss Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
during the meeting of Presidents Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan and Serzh
Sargsyan of Armenia.
According to him, over recent years, a relative lull has been recorded
in the line of contact in the region. "But I can not say that at the
Astana summit, a real breakthrough will be achieved in terms of the
conflict settlement. This is very painstaking work," Lavrov said.
Russia is facilitating the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
as one of the three co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, as well as in
its national capacity, given our good neighbourly relations with both
Armenia and Azerbaijan, he said.
"Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is personally involved in this
issue. He has already held seven or eight meetings with the Azeri
and Armenian presidents, in the course of which there were serious
attempts to get to the bottom of still existing divergences, and
get past differences of position. His aim is to develop the first
collective all-encompassing document titled "Key Principles of
Resolution", which will set the main guidelines for working out a
legally binding final peace agreement," said the minister.
According to him, agreement has been reached on the vast majority of
principles that could lay the foundation for the resolution. "However,
there are still some serious problems," he said.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the United
States - are currently holding the peace negotiations.
From: A. Papazian