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Armenian leader says tension on border with Azerbaijan escalated deliberately
FAMAGUSTA GAZETTE
* Saturday, 09 August, 2014
http://famagusta-gazette.com/armenian-leader-says-tension-on-border-with-azerbaijan-escalated-deliberate-p24789-69.htm
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan on Saturday said tensions on the
border with Azerbaijan had been escalated deliberately.
At a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi on
Saturday, Sargsyan asked him what measures Moscow was taking to help
to settle the crisis in Ukraine and said he would, in turn, speak
about "the situation in our region and the causes of the deliberate
escalation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and armed clashes
there".
Sargsyan earlier reiterated Armenia's commitment to a speedy
resolution of the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, a de facto
independent but unrecognised state in Azerbaijan populated mainly by
Armenians, on the basis of international law and join statements of
the Minsk Group co-chairs.
"We firmly believe that a new war cannot resolve the conflict," Sargsyan said.
In his opinion, "confrontation will only lead to destabilisation,
provoke tensions and arms race, and further aggravate interstate
contradictions, foment ethnic and religious strife, and threatens the
security of other countries".
Sargsyan said that his country would do everything it can to resolve
the Nagorno-Karabakh issue peacefully.
"We will do everything we can to solve the Karabakh problem
peacefully," the president said.
"The [settlement] process is underway, and we are acting
constructively in this process," Sargsyan said.
"We will do our best to find a fair solution," he said. "The stronger
we are, the more combat capable our army is, the better our positions
at the talks will be."
However Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said that the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict could be resolved only if the territorial
integrity of his country was ensured.
"The conflict can be resolved only within the framework of the
territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. There is no other solution, and I
have no doubts that Azerbaijan will restore its territorial
integrity," the head of state said.
He stressed that Azerbaijan was seeking to solve the issue "peacefully".
"We hope for a peaceful resolution yet. To this end, the Armenian side
should unconditionally comply with the resolutions of international
organisations, including the U.N. Security Council, free the occupied
territories, and Azerbaijani citizens should return to their homes.
After that peace and stability will come to the region," Aliyev said.
He said the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was the "biggest source of
threat" in the region.
Azerbaijan and its people "will never allow a second Armenian state to
be created on their historical land", he said.
He made it clear that Azerbaijan would "never step aside from its
position of principle".
The head of state called for the soonest and fair settlement in
Karabakh on the basis of international law.
Speaking of the final status of Nagorno-Karabakh, he said it was "a
matter of the future".
"We have said many times that we will never agree to any status for
Nagorno-Karabakh outside Azerbaijan, and international law supports
our positions," the president said.
Aliyev urged Armenia to continue peace talks on Nagorno-Karabakh.
Putin, Aliyev and Sargsyan may meet in Sochi on August 10, Kremlin
spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Saturday.
"We do not rule out such a meeting," he said, adding that the leaders
of the three countries could attend a combat sambo competition in the
evening of the same day.
Speaking of Putin's separate meetings with Aliyev and Sargsyan held
earlier in the day, Peskov said, "All sides expressed concern about
the growing tension and recent incidents that resulted in numerous
casualties."
"The situation is in fact volatile and unstable and efforts are being
taken now to bring it under control," he said.
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. -- ITAR-TASS
From: Baghdasarian
FAMAGUSTA GAZETTE
* Saturday, 09 August, 2014
http://famagusta-gazette.com/armenian-leader-says-tension-on-border-with-azerbaijan-escalated-deliberate-p24789-69.htm
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan on Saturday said tensions on the
border with Azerbaijan had been escalated deliberately.
At a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi on
Saturday, Sargsyan asked him what measures Moscow was taking to help
to settle the crisis in Ukraine and said he would, in turn, speak
about "the situation in our region and the causes of the deliberate
escalation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and armed clashes
there".
Sargsyan earlier reiterated Armenia's commitment to a speedy
resolution of the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, a de facto
independent but unrecognised state in Azerbaijan populated mainly by
Armenians, on the basis of international law and join statements of
the Minsk Group co-chairs.
"We firmly believe that a new war cannot resolve the conflict," Sargsyan said.
In his opinion, "confrontation will only lead to destabilisation,
provoke tensions and arms race, and further aggravate interstate
contradictions, foment ethnic and religious strife, and threatens the
security of other countries".
Sargsyan said that his country would do everything it can to resolve
the Nagorno-Karabakh issue peacefully.
"We will do everything we can to solve the Karabakh problem
peacefully," the president said.
"The [settlement] process is underway, and we are acting
constructively in this process," Sargsyan said.
"We will do our best to find a fair solution," he said. "The stronger
we are, the more combat capable our army is, the better our positions
at the talks will be."
However Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said that the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict could be resolved only if the territorial
integrity of his country was ensured.
"The conflict can be resolved only within the framework of the
territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. There is no other solution, and I
have no doubts that Azerbaijan will restore its territorial
integrity," the head of state said.
He stressed that Azerbaijan was seeking to solve the issue "peacefully".
"We hope for a peaceful resolution yet. To this end, the Armenian side
should unconditionally comply with the resolutions of international
organisations, including the U.N. Security Council, free the occupied
territories, and Azerbaijani citizens should return to their homes.
After that peace and stability will come to the region," Aliyev said.
He said the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was the "biggest source of
threat" in the region.
Azerbaijan and its people "will never allow a second Armenian state to
be created on their historical land", he said.
He made it clear that Azerbaijan would "never step aside from its
position of principle".
The head of state called for the soonest and fair settlement in
Karabakh on the basis of international law.
Speaking of the final status of Nagorno-Karabakh, he said it was "a
matter of the future".
"We have said many times that we will never agree to any status for
Nagorno-Karabakh outside Azerbaijan, and international law supports
our positions," the president said.
Aliyev urged Armenia to continue peace talks on Nagorno-Karabakh.
Putin, Aliyev and Sargsyan may meet in Sochi on August 10, Kremlin
spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Saturday.
"We do not rule out such a meeting," he said, adding that the leaders
of the three countries could attend a combat sambo competition in the
evening of the same day.
Speaking of Putin's separate meetings with Aliyev and Sargsyan held
earlier in the day, Peskov said, "All sides expressed concern about
the growing tension and recent incidents that resulted in numerous
casualties."
"The situation is in fact volatile and unstable and efforts are being
taken now to bring it under control," he said.
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. -- ITAR-TASS
From: Baghdasarian