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  • BAKU: Azerbaijani, Armenian, Russian Presidents Sign Declaration

    AZERBAIJANI, ARMENIAN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENTS SIGN DECLARATION

    news.az
    Oct 28 2010
    Azerbaijan

    Aliyev, Medvedev and Sargsyan Ilham Aliyev, Serzh Sargsyan and Dmitriy
    Medvedev have signed a declaration on the exchange of prisoners of
    war and human remains.

    The declaration was signed at a meeting of the three presidents in
    the Russian city of Astrakhan yesterday.

    Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev described the declaration as
    humanitarian. "This decision is very important in overcoming the
    various difficulties related to the Nagorno-Karabakh problem between
    Armenia and Azerbaijan. We are talking about a declaration aimed at the
    exchange of POWs and increasing confidence in the return of the bodies
    of the dead," Medvedev told a press conference after the meeting.

    The return of human remains and exchange of POWs have been a sensitive
    issue over recent months with two high-profile cases in particular.

    Armenia has so far failed to return the remains of Azerbaijani Warrant
    Officer Mubariz Ibrahimov who was killed in a clash on the Armenian
    side of the contact line in June. The Azerbaijani authorities reported
    that Armenian Manvel Saribekyan committed suicide in detention in
    Azerbaijan earlier this month and have yet to return his body. The
    Azerbaijani authorities described Saribekyan as an agent while the
    Armenians said he was a shepherd.

    Agreement by December?

    Following yesterday's talks in Astrakhan, the Russian president said
    he was "moderately optimistic" about the chances of the Armenian
    and Azerbaijani leaders making progress towards a settlement of the
    20-year-long conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.

    "Azerbaijan and Armenia may reach an agreement on the principles of
    a solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict by the OSCE summit to be
    held in early December," Medvedev said.

    He said the issue had been discussed at the meeting: "The issues
    concerning the principles for the basis of a peace agreement remain
    open. Nevertheless, we have come some way and this shows that if
    the sides work hard in November - we will instruct the foreign
    ministers to do so - we will manage to achieve an agreed option on
    common principles for a settlement by the OSCE summit to be held in
    Kazakhstan on 1-2 December."

    Medvedev said that plenty of issues remained unresolved, but the
    sides wanted to reach agreement. "Russia will continue its efforts. I
    think that a result may be achieved and it gives rise to a degree of
    moderate optimism."

    Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian described the trilateral
    meeting in Astrakhan as useful and important.

    Talking to journalists after the meeting, he said: "The presidents
    discussed the details of the Karabakh conflict settlement. They
    reaffirmed the provisions of the declaration adopted in Meiendorf,
    stressed that it is necessary to undertake steps for a diplomatic,
    political solution in order to improve the atmosphere of mutual trust
    and to strengthen the ceasefire regime."

    The Meiendorf declaration was signed by the Armenian and Azerbaijani
    presidents following talks mediated by Dmitriy Medvedev at Meiendorf
    Castle, near Moscow, in November 2008. In that declaration, the
    presidents agreed to step up their efforts to resolve the dispute
    over Nagorno-Karabakh and to develop confidence-building measures.

    The chairman of the Azerbaijani parliament's committee for defence
    and security, Aydin Mirzazade, said he was "cautiously optimistic"
    about yesterday's declaration in Astrakhan.

    "The declaration of the presidents at first reading makes me cautiously
    optimistic, because, unlike the recent past, it talks about specific
    dates for the preparation of the basic principles," Mirzazade commented
    to Interfax-Azerbaijan.

    He recalled, however, that Armenia had rejected previously reached
    agreements. "Nevertheless, I would like to believe that Armenia will
    make use of this chance," he said.

    The clause in the declaration about an urgent exchange of prisoners
    and human remains is especially important, Mirzazade said. "I think
    this could bring a degree of confidence to the situation."

    Azerbaijani president meets OSCE mediators

    Following the trilateral summit, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev
    met the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Igor Popov of Russia,
    Robert Bradtke of the USA and Bernard Fassier of France - and Andrzej
    Kasprzyk, personal representative of the OSCE chairman-in-office.

    They discussed the current state of and prospects for the Karabakh
    talks.

    >>From Astrakhan, Ilham Aliyev left for Kiev, where he was welcomed
    by senior Ukrainian officials.

    Sources: ITAR-TASS, RIA Novosti, Panorama.am, Interfax-Azerbaijan, APA,




    From: A. Papazian
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