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Journal of Turkish Weekly
Oct 5 2012
Bulgarian Ex-President: Attempts to Resolve Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict
by Force Will Reignite it
Friday, 5 October 2012
An attempt to resolve the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict by military means will reignite it, Bulgarian ex-President
Zhelyu Zhelev told media in Baku today.
"I hope that the conflict will be resolved soon," he said.
"Negotiations within the OSCE Minsk Group must continue. It is
necessary to use the experience of other countries."
He said that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has been on the
international agenda for a long time.
"When I was the president, I negotiated with Azerbaijanis and
Armenians and tried to convince them that the conflict can be resolved
only peacefully, through negotiations.
"It is impossible to resolve the issue by using guns and violence," he said.
"Even if it is resolved for some period, later it will break out with
the same arguments and emotions. I do not know how soon it will be
resolved, but the OSCE Minsk Group is necessary. It is essential to
use the experience of other countries having similar conflicts."
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France and the U.S. - are
currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.
Friday, 5 October 2012
Oct 5 2012
Bulgarian Ex-President: Attempts to Resolve Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict
by Force Will Reignite it
Friday, 5 October 2012
An attempt to resolve the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict by military means will reignite it, Bulgarian ex-President
Zhelyu Zhelev told media in Baku today.
"I hope that the conflict will be resolved soon," he said.
"Negotiations within the OSCE Minsk Group must continue. It is
necessary to use the experience of other countries."
He said that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has been on the
international agenda for a long time.
"When I was the president, I negotiated with Azerbaijanis and
Armenians and tried to convince them that the conflict can be resolved
only peacefully, through negotiations.
"It is impossible to resolve the issue by using guns and violence," he said.
"Even if it is resolved for some period, later it will break out with
the same arguments and emotions. I do not know how soon it will be
resolved, but the OSCE Minsk Group is necessary. It is essential to
use the experience of other countries having similar conflicts."
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France and the U.S. - are
currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.
Friday, 5 October 2012