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RUSSIA CALLS FOR COORDINATING STEPS TOWARDS NAGORNO-KARABAKH SETTLEMENT - LAVROV
ITAR-TASS, Russia
June 18, 2014 Wednesday 06:22 PM GMT+4
BAKU June 18
- Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has emphasised the need
to coordinate consistent steps towards settling the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict.
"Such steps will allow us to defuse tension and start the stable
settlement that will benefit Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well as the
whole region," Lavrov said after talks with Azerbaijani colleague
Elmar Mamedyarov on Wednesday.
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.
On June 2, OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Swiss President Didier Burkhalter
said it was necessary to move towards peace step-by-step.
Firstly, the parties should intensify the dialogue. To this end,
the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan should meet, he said.
The regular meeting is expected to be held in Paris, Burkhalter said,
adding that the OSCE backed it.
The negotiations that will allow the parties to reach a peace agreement
should be conducted on the basis of the Madrid principles, worked
out by the co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group, Buckhalter said.
Secondly, a ceasefire agreement is indispensable, he said.
Switzerland is ready to mediate talks on the Karabakh settlement and
uphold any financial and political contribution to implementing the
peace agreement, Burkhalter said.
ITAR-TASS, Russia
June 18, 2014 Wednesday 06:22 PM GMT+4
BAKU June 18
- Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has emphasised the need
to coordinate consistent steps towards settling the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict.
"Such steps will allow us to defuse tension and start the stable
settlement that will benefit Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well as the
whole region," Lavrov said after talks with Azerbaijani colleague
Elmar Mamedyarov on Wednesday.
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.
On June 2, OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Swiss President Didier Burkhalter
said it was necessary to move towards peace step-by-step.
Firstly, the parties should intensify the dialogue. To this end,
the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan should meet, he said.
The regular meeting is expected to be held in Paris, Burkhalter said,
adding that the OSCE backed it.
The negotiations that will allow the parties to reach a peace agreement
should be conducted on the basis of the Madrid principles, worked
out by the co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group, Buckhalter said.
Secondly, a ceasefire agreement is indispensable, he said.
Switzerland is ready to mediate talks on the Karabakh settlement and
uphold any financial and political contribution to implementing the
peace agreement, Burkhalter said.