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RUSSIAN GENERAL STAFF CHIEF RULES OUT MILITARY SOLUTION IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH
ITAR-TASS, Russia
April 7, 2014 Monday 10:11 PM GMT+4
BAKU April 7
- The Chairman of the Russian Army General Staff, Colonel-General
Valery Gerasimov called for a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict.
He met with Azerbaijani Defence Minister Zakir Gasanov on Monday,
April 7, to discuss further military-technical cooperation and ways
to increase it. One of the main tasks facing Russia, Azerbaijan and
Armenia is to solve the Karabakh issue in order to move forward and
rule out the use of force, Gerasimov said.
Gasanov said cooperation between the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan and
Russia was developing at a high level in all areas, including military
development, education, and military-technical ties.
"The Armed Forces of Azerbaijan are receiving modern Russian weapons,
tanks, combat vehicles and artillery systems. All this helps strengthen
our country's defence capability," Gasanov said.
Speaking of Nagorno-Karabakh, he said, "I hope that as a co-chair of
the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia will facilitate a peaceful resolution
of this issue."
Following their briefing of Minsk Group members in Vienna on April 3,
the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Ambassadors Igor Popov of the
Russian Federation, Jacques Faure of France, and James Warlick of the
United States of America) met on April 4 with the Foreign Ministers
of Azerbaijan, Elmar Mammadyarov, and Armenia, Edward Nalbandian. The
Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Ambassador
Andrzej Kasprzyk, also participated in the meeting.
The co-chairs reiterated to the Ministers their commitment to working
toward a just and peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. They discussed a possible summit meeting between the
Presidents in the near future, and acknowledged the urgency of further
progress on the substantive issues. The co-chairs again emphasised
to the Ministers the need to take concrete steps to reduce tensions
in the region and advance the peace process.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict began on February 22, 1988. On November
29, 1989 direct rule in Nagorno-Karabakh was ended and Azerbaijan
regained control of the region. However later a joint session of the
Armenian parliament and the top legislative body of Nagorno-Karabakh
proclaimed the unification of Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia.
On December 10, 1991, Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh held a referendum,
boycotted by local Azeris, that approved the creation of an independent
state.
The struggle over Nagorno-Karabakh escalated after both Armenia and
Azerbaijan obtained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. By
the end of 1993, the conflict had caused thousands of casualties and
created hundreds of thousands of refugees on both sides. An unofficial
ceasefire was reached on May 12, 1994.
As of August, 2008, the co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group were
attempting to negotiate a full settlement of the conflict. On August 2,
2008, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan travelled to Moscow for talks with Dmitry Medvedev, who was
Russian president at that time. As a result, the three presidents
signed an agreement that calls for talks on a political settlement
of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
ITAR-TASS, Russia
April 7, 2014 Monday 10:11 PM GMT+4
BAKU April 7
- The Chairman of the Russian Army General Staff, Colonel-General
Valery Gerasimov called for a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict.
He met with Azerbaijani Defence Minister Zakir Gasanov on Monday,
April 7, to discuss further military-technical cooperation and ways
to increase it. One of the main tasks facing Russia, Azerbaijan and
Armenia is to solve the Karabakh issue in order to move forward and
rule out the use of force, Gerasimov said.
Gasanov said cooperation between the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan and
Russia was developing at a high level in all areas, including military
development, education, and military-technical ties.
"The Armed Forces of Azerbaijan are receiving modern Russian weapons,
tanks, combat vehicles and artillery systems. All this helps strengthen
our country's defence capability," Gasanov said.
Speaking of Nagorno-Karabakh, he said, "I hope that as a co-chair of
the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia will facilitate a peaceful resolution
of this issue."
Following their briefing of Minsk Group members in Vienna on April 3,
the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Ambassadors Igor Popov of the
Russian Federation, Jacques Faure of France, and James Warlick of the
United States of America) met on April 4 with the Foreign Ministers
of Azerbaijan, Elmar Mammadyarov, and Armenia, Edward Nalbandian. The
Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Ambassador
Andrzej Kasprzyk, also participated in the meeting.
The co-chairs reiterated to the Ministers their commitment to working
toward a just and peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. They discussed a possible summit meeting between the
Presidents in the near future, and acknowledged the urgency of further
progress on the substantive issues. The co-chairs again emphasised
to the Ministers the need to take concrete steps to reduce tensions
in the region and advance the peace process.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict began on February 22, 1988. On November
29, 1989 direct rule in Nagorno-Karabakh was ended and Azerbaijan
regained control of the region. However later a joint session of the
Armenian parliament and the top legislative body of Nagorno-Karabakh
proclaimed the unification of Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia.
On December 10, 1991, Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh held a referendum,
boycotted by local Azeris, that approved the creation of an independent
state.
The struggle over Nagorno-Karabakh escalated after both Armenia and
Azerbaijan obtained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. By
the end of 1993, the conflict had caused thousands of casualties and
created hundreds of thousands of refugees on both sides. An unofficial
ceasefire was reached on May 12, 1994.
As of August, 2008, the co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group were
attempting to negotiate a full settlement of the conflict. On August 2,
2008, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan travelled to Moscow for talks with Dmitry Medvedev, who was
Russian president at that time. As a result, the three presidents
signed an agreement that calls for talks on a political settlement
of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.