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U.S. BACKS RUSSIA ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH
United Press International UPI
July 14 2011
WASHINGTON, July 14 (UPI) -- Efforts by Russian President Dmitry
Medvedev to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute between Armenia and
Azerbaijan earned more U.S. support this week.
U.S. President Barack Obama reiterated his backing for Medvedev's
resolve in bringing the two sides in the dispute together after they
failed to reach agreement on a framework to end the conflict during
a summit last month in the Russian city of Kazan.
Medvedev since then has continued diplomatic efforts to revive the
stalled peace process.
A statement released by the White House indicated Obama had a phone
conversation Monday with Medvedev which he "expressed his support
for President Medvedev's mediation efforts regarding Nagorno-Karabakh."
Obama, the statement said, also pledged U.S. backing "for the effort
to reach a framework agreement for negotiating a final peace agreement
that will put an end to this conflict."
Armenia and Azerbaijan warred for six years over the Nagorno-Karabakh
territory, an Armenian-majority enclave within Azerbaijani borders.
The active conflict, which left more than 30,000 dead, ended with a
cease-fire in 1994.
The territory has remained under Armenian control since it claimed
independence from Azerbaijan but its final status remains unresolved,
and tensions over the situation are still high.
The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Sunday expressed its concerns over
the increasing tensions there as part of its Belgrade Declaration,
in which it called for more active efforts to resolve the conflicts
in Nagorno-Karabakh, Moldova and Georgia.
Obama's remarks reiterated a joint statement he, along with Medvedev
and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, made in May at the Deauville
summit of the Group of Eight.
That statement was issued in their capacities and the presidents of the
three nations leading the Organization for Security and Cooperation
in Europe's Minsk Group, which has been seeking a resolution of the
conflict since 1995.
It urged the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan to "demonstrate
their political will" by finalizing the latest version of the basic
principles of a framework agreement hammered out in March, asserting,
"further delay would only call into question the commitment of the
sides to reach an agreement."
But that remains an elusive goal after the Kazan meeting, during which
Baku asked to introduce 10 new amendments to the basic principles,
Armenian officials said.
Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan said afterward an agreement
on Nagorno-Karabakh would be only possible if Azerbaijan gives up
some of the amendments it suggested, the Russian news agency RIA
Novosti reported.
Shuttle diplomacy has continued since the failure of the Kazan summit.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited both Yerevan and Baku
Friday, bearing letters from Medvedev in which the Russian leader
proposed ways to keep the talks moving ahead.
"We want the problem to be solved and solved in a way which will bring
ultimate peace and stability to the region," Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan said, indicating his country would study the proposals.
"We are carefully studying the proposal made by President Medvedev,
and after a thorough insight we will give our response," Azerbaijani
Foreign Minister lmar Mammadyarov added.
Mammadyarov is to make an official visit to Russia next week at
Lavrov's invitation, and it is expected both sides will continue the
talks on the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement, RIA Novosti reported.
Read more:
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2011/07/14/US-backs-Russia-on-Nagorno-Karabakh/UPI-73011310638980/#ixzz1S8vc1tvI
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
United Press International UPI
July 14 2011
WASHINGTON, July 14 (UPI) -- Efforts by Russian President Dmitry
Medvedev to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute between Armenia and
Azerbaijan earned more U.S. support this week.
U.S. President Barack Obama reiterated his backing for Medvedev's
resolve in bringing the two sides in the dispute together after they
failed to reach agreement on a framework to end the conflict during
a summit last month in the Russian city of Kazan.
Medvedev since then has continued diplomatic efforts to revive the
stalled peace process.
A statement released by the White House indicated Obama had a phone
conversation Monday with Medvedev which he "expressed his support
for President Medvedev's mediation efforts regarding Nagorno-Karabakh."
Obama, the statement said, also pledged U.S. backing "for the effort
to reach a framework agreement for negotiating a final peace agreement
that will put an end to this conflict."
Armenia and Azerbaijan warred for six years over the Nagorno-Karabakh
territory, an Armenian-majority enclave within Azerbaijani borders.
The active conflict, which left more than 30,000 dead, ended with a
cease-fire in 1994.
The territory has remained under Armenian control since it claimed
independence from Azerbaijan but its final status remains unresolved,
and tensions over the situation are still high.
The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Sunday expressed its concerns over
the increasing tensions there as part of its Belgrade Declaration,
in which it called for more active efforts to resolve the conflicts
in Nagorno-Karabakh, Moldova and Georgia.
Obama's remarks reiterated a joint statement he, along with Medvedev
and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, made in May at the Deauville
summit of the Group of Eight.
That statement was issued in their capacities and the presidents of the
three nations leading the Organization for Security and Cooperation
in Europe's Minsk Group, which has been seeking a resolution of the
conflict since 1995.
It urged the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan to "demonstrate
their political will" by finalizing the latest version of the basic
principles of a framework agreement hammered out in March, asserting,
"further delay would only call into question the commitment of the
sides to reach an agreement."
But that remains an elusive goal after the Kazan meeting, during which
Baku asked to introduce 10 new amendments to the basic principles,
Armenian officials said.
Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan said afterward an agreement
on Nagorno-Karabakh would be only possible if Azerbaijan gives up
some of the amendments it suggested, the Russian news agency RIA
Novosti reported.
Shuttle diplomacy has continued since the failure of the Kazan summit.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited both Yerevan and Baku
Friday, bearing letters from Medvedev in which the Russian leader
proposed ways to keep the talks moving ahead.
"We want the problem to be solved and solved in a way which will bring
ultimate peace and stability to the region," Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan said, indicating his country would study the proposals.
"We are carefully studying the proposal made by President Medvedev,
and after a thorough insight we will give our response," Azerbaijani
Foreign Minister lmar Mammadyarov added.
Mammadyarov is to make an official visit to Russia next week at
Lavrov's invitation, and it is expected both sides will continue the
talks on the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement, RIA Novosti reported.
Read more:
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2011/07/14/US-backs-Russia-on-Nagorno-Karabakh/UPI-73011310638980/#ixzz1S8vc1tvI
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress