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RUSSIA AND AZERBAIJAN DISCUSS THE NAGORNO-KARABAKH ISSUE
Denisova Olga
The Voice of Russia
Aug 9, 2011
The situation in the Caucasus and the general state of several
countries and their people depend on the resolution of the
Nagorno-Karabakh issue. Presidents of Russia and Azerbaijan, Dmitry
Medvedev and Ilkham Aliev have focused on how to solve the conflict
at their meeting in the Russian resort of Sochi.
The Azeri President arrived in Sochi on a working visit, and his
Russian counterpart described the city as an appropriate place for
discussing bilateral relations, regional and international issues
and global economic problems. Both leaders noted that political and
economic dialogue between Moscow and Baku is gaining momentum.
However, the regional conflict of Nagorno-Karabakh remains unsolved,
the Russian President emphasized:
"The Nagorno-Karabakh will be a key topic at the meeting. I would like
to hold a frank discussion on what to do in the future and on how the
events will develop by taking into account the last meeting in Kazan
with the involvement of the Armenian President and previous meetings.
We are close neighbours and the general state of the entire region,
our countries and our people depends on how the situation develops,"
Dmitry Medvedev said.
The presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan have met more often on
Russia's initiative in the trilateral format. In the past years, Russia
has played the role of a mediator in their dialogue. Both sides of the
conflict, Yerevan and Baku, welcome Russia's involvement. The three
presidents, Medvedev, Sargsyan and Aliev have met nine times at the
negotiating table since 2008. This, according to the Azeri leader,
has produced results:
"We value highly your personal involvement in this process. Perhaps,
Azerbaijan is more interested in solving the conflict as soon as
possible than others so that the displaced people could return
to their native places of residence, and peace and order could be
established. I believe the resolution of the conflict at the earliest
meets the interests of all sides," Ilkham Aliev said.
Medvedev and Aliev returned to the discussion of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict on the next day after the third anniversary of the Georgian
aggression against South Ossetia. During an interview, Dmitry Medvedev
said that Ilkham Aliev and Serzh Sargsyan consider the event a very
serious lesson. They admitted that it would be better to conduct an
endless dialogue on the fate of Nagorno-Karabakh, a possible referendum
or a peace treaty rather than fight for five days.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict broke out in February 1988 when the
enclave in Azerbaijan declared that it would secede from the Azerbaijan
Soviet Socialist Republic and join Armenia.
Nagorno-Karabakh declared its independence in 1991 before the collapse
of the Soviet Union. At the time, the two sides fought a war. Baku
opposed secession, while Yerevan supported those who fought for
independence.
The fighting ended after three years in 1994 when a truce signed with
the mediation of Russia came into force. However, the status of the
region has not been solved yet. The conflict is frozen, and Azerbaijan
considers that seven districts of its territory have been occupied.
Russia as a member of the Minsk group of the Organization for Security
and Cooperation in Europe insists together with the U.S. and France on
the completion of the work of settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
At the G8 summit in Deauville Medvedev, Obama and Sarkozy have once
again urged the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia to achieve this.
From: Baghdasarian
Denisova Olga
The Voice of Russia
Aug 9, 2011
The situation in the Caucasus and the general state of several
countries and their people depend on the resolution of the
Nagorno-Karabakh issue. Presidents of Russia and Azerbaijan, Dmitry
Medvedev and Ilkham Aliev have focused on how to solve the conflict
at their meeting in the Russian resort of Sochi.
The Azeri President arrived in Sochi on a working visit, and his
Russian counterpart described the city as an appropriate place for
discussing bilateral relations, regional and international issues
and global economic problems. Both leaders noted that political and
economic dialogue between Moscow and Baku is gaining momentum.
However, the regional conflict of Nagorno-Karabakh remains unsolved,
the Russian President emphasized:
"The Nagorno-Karabakh will be a key topic at the meeting. I would like
to hold a frank discussion on what to do in the future and on how the
events will develop by taking into account the last meeting in Kazan
with the involvement of the Armenian President and previous meetings.
We are close neighbours and the general state of the entire region,
our countries and our people depends on how the situation develops,"
Dmitry Medvedev said.
The presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan have met more often on
Russia's initiative in the trilateral format. In the past years, Russia
has played the role of a mediator in their dialogue. Both sides of the
conflict, Yerevan and Baku, welcome Russia's involvement. The three
presidents, Medvedev, Sargsyan and Aliev have met nine times at the
negotiating table since 2008. This, according to the Azeri leader,
has produced results:
"We value highly your personal involvement in this process. Perhaps,
Azerbaijan is more interested in solving the conflict as soon as
possible than others so that the displaced people could return
to their native places of residence, and peace and order could be
established. I believe the resolution of the conflict at the earliest
meets the interests of all sides," Ilkham Aliev said.
Medvedev and Aliev returned to the discussion of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict on the next day after the third anniversary of the Georgian
aggression against South Ossetia. During an interview, Dmitry Medvedev
said that Ilkham Aliev and Serzh Sargsyan consider the event a very
serious lesson. They admitted that it would be better to conduct an
endless dialogue on the fate of Nagorno-Karabakh, a possible referendum
or a peace treaty rather than fight for five days.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict broke out in February 1988 when the
enclave in Azerbaijan declared that it would secede from the Azerbaijan
Soviet Socialist Republic and join Armenia.
Nagorno-Karabakh declared its independence in 1991 before the collapse
of the Soviet Union. At the time, the two sides fought a war. Baku
opposed secession, while Yerevan supported those who fought for
independence.
The fighting ended after three years in 1994 when a truce signed with
the mediation of Russia came into force. However, the status of the
region has not been solved yet. The conflict is frozen, and Azerbaijan
considers that seven districts of its territory have been occupied.
Russia as a member of the Minsk group of the Organization for Security
and Cooperation in Europe insists together with the U.S. and France on
the completion of the work of settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
At the G8 summit in Deauville Medvedev, Obama and Sarkozy have once
again urged the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia to achieve this.
From: Baghdasarian