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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
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