Voice of America
June 24 2011
Armenia, Azerbaijan Pressured to Agree on Nagorno-Karabakh
The United States and Russia are urging the leaders of Armenia and
Azerbaijan to come to an agreement in their long and often violent
dispute over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh at a summit hosted by
Russia.
Armenian President Serzh Sarkisyan and his Azeri counterpart Ilham
Aliyev meet Friday in the Russian city of Kazan, hosted by Russian
President Dmitry Medvedev.
The two sides have come under increasing international pressure to
sign a basic principles agreement that would set the stage for a
settlement over the disputed ethnic Armenian enclave in western
Azerbaijan.
Two decades ago, the two countries fought a war over Nagorno-Karabakh
that ended in a 1994 cease-fire. Since then, talks have dragged on
without resolution.
U.S. President Barack Obama phoned each of the leaders Thursday and
strongly encouraged them to sign the basic principles. The president
said that now is the time for a settlement for a "better future" for
citizens of both countries.
The Russian foreign ministry has issued a statement also calling for
an agreement.
Since the 1994 cease-fire, Nagorno-Karabakh has been under the control
of Armenian forces. Despite the suspension of hostilities, exchanges
of gunfire continue along the borders of the disputed region.
The conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh left 35,000 dead and forced as many
as a million people from their homes.
Repeated international efforts to broker a peace deal have failed.
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/europe/Armenia-Azerbaijan-Pressured-to-Agree-on-Nagorno-Karabakh-124491379.html
From: A. Papazian
June 24 2011
Armenia, Azerbaijan Pressured to Agree on Nagorno-Karabakh
The United States and Russia are urging the leaders of Armenia and
Azerbaijan to come to an agreement in their long and often violent
dispute over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh at a summit hosted by
Russia.
Armenian President Serzh Sarkisyan and his Azeri counterpart Ilham
Aliyev meet Friday in the Russian city of Kazan, hosted by Russian
President Dmitry Medvedev.
The two sides have come under increasing international pressure to
sign a basic principles agreement that would set the stage for a
settlement over the disputed ethnic Armenian enclave in western
Azerbaijan.
Two decades ago, the two countries fought a war over Nagorno-Karabakh
that ended in a 1994 cease-fire. Since then, talks have dragged on
without resolution.
U.S. President Barack Obama phoned each of the leaders Thursday and
strongly encouraged them to sign the basic principles. The president
said that now is the time for a settlement for a "better future" for
citizens of both countries.
The Russian foreign ministry has issued a statement also calling for
an agreement.
Since the 1994 cease-fire, Nagorno-Karabakh has been under the control
of Armenian forces. Despite the suspension of hostilities, exchanges
of gunfire continue along the borders of the disputed region.
The conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh left 35,000 dead and forced as many
as a million people from their homes.
Repeated international efforts to broker a peace deal have failed.
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/europe/Armenia-Azerbaijan-Pressured-to-Agree-on-Nagorno-Karabakh-124491379.html
From: A. Papazian