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ARMENIAN PRESIDENT CHALLENGES AZERBAIJAN
news.az
July 22 2010
Azerbaijan
Serzh Sargsyan Armenia is ready to use proposals put forward in
St Petersburg as a basis for talks on a Karabakh peace settlement,
President Serzh Sargsyan has said.
The proposals were made at a meeting in St Petersburg between the
Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents, mediated by Russian President
Dmitriy Medvedev, in June.
"Armenia is ready to use the St Petersburg proposals as basis for
negotiations; now it's Azerbaijan's turn to decide on its position,"
Serzh Sargsyan said yesterday, according to PanARMENIAN.Net. He was
addressing young Armenians from the diaspora, members of the Miasin
movement and Come Home program at a summer camp.
"Suggestions were put forward at the St Petersburg meeting, with
Armenia and Azerbaijan expected to express their positions.
Negotiations will be resumed when Azerbaijan has accepted the OSCE
Minsk Group's suggestions," Sargsyan continued.
His remarks echo statements made earlier by Azerbaijan that the
negotiations would continue once Armenia had accepted as a basis for
negotiations the updated Madrid principles, put forward by the OSCE
Minsk Group mediators.
The difference between the updated Madrid principles and St Petersburg
proposals has not been made public. The St Petersburg proposals,
however, appear to be less satisfactory to Azerbaijan.
Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, speaking after a meeting at the
weekend with his Armenian counterpart Edward Nalbandian and OSCE
Minsk Group representatives, accused Armenia of taking into account
only the last meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents in
St Petersburg, while all presidential meetings on Nagorno-Karabakh
were important.
The wrangling over proposals and principles is unlikely to change
the nub of the conflict, the status of the disputed territory of
Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan insists that the territory should remain
part of Azerbaijan, while Armenia demands the reverse.
Following the talks between the foreign ministers at the weekend,
the OSCE mediators urged the sides to "a greater spirit of compromise".
That call appears to have gone unheeded.
"The primary responsibility to put an end to the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict still remains with Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders," the
mediators said in a statement.
Talking about rapprochement with Turkey, Serzh Sargsyan said yesterday
that Armenia had shown political will towards the normalization of
ties with Turkey and expected Turkey to undertake a reciprocal step.
"The whole world is urging Turkey to show political will in ratifying
the protocols, but Ankara is turning a deaf ear, calling on Armenia
to show political will," PanARMENIAN.Net reported Sargsyan as saying.
"Despite the Turkish authorities' statements, Armenia is ready to
accept any expression of friendship," he concluded.
From: A. Papazian
news.az
July 22 2010
Azerbaijan
Serzh Sargsyan Armenia is ready to use proposals put forward in
St Petersburg as a basis for talks on a Karabakh peace settlement,
President Serzh Sargsyan has said.
The proposals were made at a meeting in St Petersburg between the
Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents, mediated by Russian President
Dmitriy Medvedev, in June.
"Armenia is ready to use the St Petersburg proposals as basis for
negotiations; now it's Azerbaijan's turn to decide on its position,"
Serzh Sargsyan said yesterday, according to PanARMENIAN.Net. He was
addressing young Armenians from the diaspora, members of the Miasin
movement and Come Home program at a summer camp.
"Suggestions were put forward at the St Petersburg meeting, with
Armenia and Azerbaijan expected to express their positions.
Negotiations will be resumed when Azerbaijan has accepted the OSCE
Minsk Group's suggestions," Sargsyan continued.
His remarks echo statements made earlier by Azerbaijan that the
negotiations would continue once Armenia had accepted as a basis for
negotiations the updated Madrid principles, put forward by the OSCE
Minsk Group mediators.
The difference between the updated Madrid principles and St Petersburg
proposals has not been made public. The St Petersburg proposals,
however, appear to be less satisfactory to Azerbaijan.
Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, speaking after a meeting at the
weekend with his Armenian counterpart Edward Nalbandian and OSCE
Minsk Group representatives, accused Armenia of taking into account
only the last meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents in
St Petersburg, while all presidential meetings on Nagorno-Karabakh
were important.
The wrangling over proposals and principles is unlikely to change
the nub of the conflict, the status of the disputed territory of
Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan insists that the territory should remain
part of Azerbaijan, while Armenia demands the reverse.
Following the talks between the foreign ministers at the weekend,
the OSCE mediators urged the sides to "a greater spirit of compromise".
That call appears to have gone unheeded.
"The primary responsibility to put an end to the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict still remains with Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders," the
mediators said in a statement.
Talking about rapprochement with Turkey, Serzh Sargsyan said yesterday
that Armenia had shown political will towards the normalization of
ties with Turkey and expected Turkey to undertake a reciprocal step.
"The whole world is urging Turkey to show political will in ratifying
the protocols, but Ankara is turning a deaf ear, calling on Armenia
to show political will," PanARMENIAN.Net reported Sargsyan as saying.
"Despite the Turkish authorities' statements, Armenia is ready to
accept any expression of friendship," he concluded.
From: A. Papazian