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news.az, Azerbaijan
June 24 2011
No agreement at Azerbaijani-Armenian talks
Fri 24 June 2011 20:33 GMT | 16:33 Local Time
The Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents have failed to reach agreement
on the Karabakh peace process at a meeting mediated by the Russian
president.
A joint statement issued after the meeting in the Russian city of
Kazan on Friday said, however, that some progress had been made,
Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported.
"The heads of state confirmed mutual understanding on a range of
issues, the resolution of which contributes to the creation of the
conditions for the approval of the Basic Principles [for a Karabakh
settlement]," the joint statement said.
The document says that the participants in the meeting reviewed work
done on reaching agreement on the draft Basic Principles.
As the delegations were settling themselves at the negotiating table,
the Russian president commented: "To achieve a result, it is necessary
to be close to each other."
The presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia expressed their gratitude to
the leaders of Russia, the USA and France, the countries co-chairing
the OSCE Minsk Group, "for their constant attention to the problem of
a Nagorno-Karabakh settlement". They praised the personal efforts of
the Rusian Federation president to help the sides reach agreement, the
joint statement said.
The outcome of the summit was predictable,' Russian political analyst
Alexey Vlasov told RIA Novosti. `But the most important factor for a
solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict...is how much the sides listen
to Russia.'
The Kazan summit was the ninth trilateral meeting of the presidents
since 2008 and the second this year. The previous summit was hled on 5
March in Sochi.
The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, mediating a settlement to the
conflict, and the US and French presidents personally had all urged
the Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders to seize the moment and reach
agreement on the Basic Principles at the Kazan summmit.
The Basic Principles for a settlement of the Karabakh conflict, also
known as the Madrid principles, were submitted to Azerbaijan and
Armenia by the foreign ministers of France and Russia and the US
secretary of state's assistant in November 2007. The mediators
presented an updated version of the principles to the Azerbaijani and
Armenian sides in 2010.
The principles include: the return of the territories surrounding
Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijani control; an interim status for
Nagorno-Karabakh providing guarantees for security and
self-governance; a corridor linking Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh; the
future determination of the final legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh
through a legally binding expression of will; the right of all
internally displaced persons and refugees to return to their former
places of residence; and international security guarantees that would
include a peacekeeping operation.
Earlier in the day the Azerbaijan, Armenian and Russian presidents had
lunch together.
After the summit, the Russian and Armenian presidents left to watch
the annual horse race for the Russian President's Cup. The race was
won by a stallion from Tajikistan, Korol or King.
News.Az
June 24 2011
No agreement at Azerbaijani-Armenian talks
Fri 24 June 2011 20:33 GMT | 16:33 Local Time
The Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents have failed to reach agreement
on the Karabakh peace process at a meeting mediated by the Russian
president.
A joint statement issued after the meeting in the Russian city of
Kazan on Friday said, however, that some progress had been made,
Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported.
"The heads of state confirmed mutual understanding on a range of
issues, the resolution of which contributes to the creation of the
conditions for the approval of the Basic Principles [for a Karabakh
settlement]," the joint statement said.
The document says that the participants in the meeting reviewed work
done on reaching agreement on the draft Basic Principles.
As the delegations were settling themselves at the negotiating table,
the Russian president commented: "To achieve a result, it is necessary
to be close to each other."
The presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia expressed their gratitude to
the leaders of Russia, the USA and France, the countries co-chairing
the OSCE Minsk Group, "for their constant attention to the problem of
a Nagorno-Karabakh settlement". They praised the personal efforts of
the Rusian Federation president to help the sides reach agreement, the
joint statement said.
The outcome of the summit was predictable,' Russian political analyst
Alexey Vlasov told RIA Novosti. `But the most important factor for a
solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict...is how much the sides listen
to Russia.'
The Kazan summit was the ninth trilateral meeting of the presidents
since 2008 and the second this year. The previous summit was hled on 5
March in Sochi.
The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, mediating a settlement to the
conflict, and the US and French presidents personally had all urged
the Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders to seize the moment and reach
agreement on the Basic Principles at the Kazan summmit.
The Basic Principles for a settlement of the Karabakh conflict, also
known as the Madrid principles, were submitted to Azerbaijan and
Armenia by the foreign ministers of France and Russia and the US
secretary of state's assistant in November 2007. The mediators
presented an updated version of the principles to the Azerbaijani and
Armenian sides in 2010.
The principles include: the return of the territories surrounding
Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijani control; an interim status for
Nagorno-Karabakh providing guarantees for security and
self-governance; a corridor linking Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh; the
future determination of the final legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh
through a legally binding expression of will; the right of all
internally displaced persons and refugees to return to their former
places of residence; and international security guarantees that would
include a peacekeeping operation.
Earlier in the day the Azerbaijan, Armenian and Russian presidents had
lunch together.
After the summit, the Russian and Armenian presidents left to watch
the annual horse race for the Russian President's Cup. The race was
won by a stallion from Tajikistan, Korol or King.
News.Az