Azer News, Azerbaijan
Sept 16 2004

Azerbaijan, Armenia to hold ‘Make-or-break’ talks

Talks next week between the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan could
make or break the fragile peace process between the two countries,
President Ilham Aliyev said Saturday.

Aliyev is scheduled to meet face-to-face with his Armenian
counterpart Robert Kocharian within a CIS summit due to commence on
September 15 in Astana, Kazakhstan. President Aliyev said the meeting
could be a breakthrough after a decade of unsuccessful negotiations
which followed a war between Azerbaijan and Armenia in the early
1990s over Upper Garabagh. “A lot depends on the meeting in Astana,”
Aliyev said during his visit to Barda, north-western Azerbaijan.

“It could bring clarity to the question of where we are, whether we
are getting closer to an agreement or whether we are going in the
opposite direction.” “Now there is a chance to determine the road map
for achieving an agreement. This is the main thing: real, fundamental
negotiations will start only after that.” Aliyev added: “First of all
we must agree on the principles. If we achieve that, afterwards the
detailed negotiations can get underway.” Defense Minister Safar
Abiyev, in a meeting with the outgoing Russian Ambassador Nikolay
Ryabov, said the Azeri people expect the upcoming meeting of
Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents to yield results in settling the
Upper Garabagh conflict. Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a five-year
war over Upper Garabagh. Some 35,000 people were killed and about one
million civilians displaced by the fighting. The conflict ended with
Armenian forces in control of Upper Garabagh, which is
internationally recognized as a part of Azerbaijan. Though a fragile
ceasefire is in force, the two sides are still officially in a state
of war. Azerbaijan has threatened to renew hostilities unless peace
talks produce results soon.