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ITAR-TASS, Russia
Aug 9 2014
Karabakh conflict has been on too long and needs to be settled
World
August 09, 18:14 UTC+4 SOCHI
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said at a meeting with Russian
President Vladimir Putin in Sochi on Saturday
SOCHI, August 09, 17:31 /ITAR-TASS/. The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has
been on too long and needs to be resolved, Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev said at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in
Sochi on Saturday.
"We discussed the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict in
Karabakh which has been going on for too long a time and needs to be
resolved," the president said.
Aliyev said earlier this week that the latest events in
Nagorno-Karabakh should stir international mediators into action and
noted that hopes that peace were still alive. "Negotiations are still
underway and there are certain hopes," he said.
The president stressed that the main mission of the international
mediators was to settle the conflict, not to freeze it or strengthen
the confidence-building process. "I believe that the latest events
will stir international mediators into action," he said.
He said Azerbaijan wanted peace but at the same time pointed out that
the "neither war nor peace" situation could not last forever.
Speaking at a meeting with people in the Agdam District in
Nagorno-Karabakh, where tensions have escalated lately, Aliyev assured
them that the Azerbaijani army "can fulfill any task".
He sees there was no need for mobilisation in the country for the time
being. "Mobilisation can be declared if necessary but there is no such
need now," he said, adding that his country would step up efforts
towards settling the conflict.
"These efforts are going in all directions: internal policy, economic
power, military might, and the strengthening of our international
positions," the president said.
He said the latest events showed that the Karabkah conflict was not
frozen as many international organisations were saying.
Aliyev said the resolution of the Karabakh conflict would remain his priority.
He said earlier that his country was using political and economic
factors to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict peacefully.
He stressed that Azerbaijan could solve the problem by force, but "we
think the potential of negotiations has not been used up yet".
"Using political, economic and military pressure we will try to get
the issue solved peacefully. Our economic, political and military
potential is quite strong and this factor will play a positive role at
the talks," the president said, adding that the conflict could not
remain frozen.
Aliyev regretted the absence of progress in the resolution of the
conflict despite the international mediators' efforts. "We are of the
opinion that the mediators dealing with this [Karabakh] issue are more
interested in keeping the situation in its present state. Their main
interest is in preserving stability and preventing a war in the
region. We also want peace. But at the same time we want to see truth
and justice restored and international law triumphing," he said.
The president also believes that the conflict should be settled
"cardinally". "Half-solutions can only be an interim step. We should
not forget the main goal. The people of Azerbaijan should return to
the occupied territories," he said.
He stressed that Nagorno-Karabakh's Armenians could get a high status
of autonomy within Azerbaijan. "We proposed this and this approach is
based on the most positive experience the world and Europe have," he
added.
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, which 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 the time. As a result, the three presidents
signed an agreement that calls for talks on a political settlement of
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
http://en.itar-tass.com/world/744237
Aug 9 2014
Karabakh conflict has been on too long and needs to be settled
World
August 09, 18:14 UTC+4 SOCHI
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said at a meeting with Russian
President Vladimir Putin in Sochi on Saturday
SOCHI, August 09, 17:31 /ITAR-TASS/. The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has
been on too long and needs to be resolved, Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev said at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in
Sochi on Saturday.
"We discussed the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict in
Karabakh which has been going on for too long a time and needs to be
resolved," the president said.
Aliyev said earlier this week that the latest events in
Nagorno-Karabakh should stir international mediators into action and
noted that hopes that peace were still alive. "Negotiations are still
underway and there are certain hopes," he said.
The president stressed that the main mission of the international
mediators was to settle the conflict, not to freeze it or strengthen
the confidence-building process. "I believe that the latest events
will stir international mediators into action," he said.
He said Azerbaijan wanted peace but at the same time pointed out that
the "neither war nor peace" situation could not last forever.
Speaking at a meeting with people in the Agdam District in
Nagorno-Karabakh, where tensions have escalated lately, Aliyev assured
them that the Azerbaijani army "can fulfill any task".
He sees there was no need for mobilisation in the country for the time
being. "Mobilisation can be declared if necessary but there is no such
need now," he said, adding that his country would step up efforts
towards settling the conflict.
"These efforts are going in all directions: internal policy, economic
power, military might, and the strengthening of our international
positions," the president said.
He said the latest events showed that the Karabkah conflict was not
frozen as many international organisations were saying.
Aliyev said the resolution of the Karabakh conflict would remain his priority.
He said earlier that his country was using political and economic
factors to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict peacefully.
He stressed that Azerbaijan could solve the problem by force, but "we
think the potential of negotiations has not been used up yet".
"Using political, economic and military pressure we will try to get
the issue solved peacefully. Our economic, political and military
potential is quite strong and this factor will play a positive role at
the talks," the president said, adding that the conflict could not
remain frozen.
Aliyev regretted the absence of progress in the resolution of the
conflict despite the international mediators' efforts. "We are of the
opinion that the mediators dealing with this [Karabakh] issue are more
interested in keeping the situation in its present state. Their main
interest is in preserving stability and preventing a war in the
region. We also want peace. But at the same time we want to see truth
and justice restored and international law triumphing," he said.
The president also believes that the conflict should be settled
"cardinally". "Half-solutions can only be an interim step. We should
not forget the main goal. The people of Azerbaijan should return to
the occupied territories," he said.
He stressed that Nagorno-Karabakh's Armenians could get a high status
of autonomy within Azerbaijan. "We proposed this and this approach is
based on the most positive experience the world and Europe have," he
added.
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, which 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 the time. As a result, the three presidents
signed an agreement that calls for talks on a political settlement of
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
http://en.itar-tass.com/world/744237