Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Sept 29 2004

Armenia Wants to Postpone Talks on Karabagh

30/09/2004 08:46

After the Astana meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents the
official Yerevan has come out with an initiative to postpone the
talks over the settlement of the Karabagh conflict.

AssA-Irada — Commenting on the Armenia’s initiative, Deputy Foreign
Minister Araz Azimov confirmed the fact that the Armenian side has
requested to be granted a delay to analyze the results of the talks
held so far. The date for the next talks with the Armenian side has
not been ascertained yet, he said.

Azimov underlined there is no need for a meeting of the Azerbaijani
and Armenian presidents’ special envoys as all issues related to the
conflict settlement are discussed during the regular meetings of the
two countries’ foreign ministers.

At the Astana summit official Baku called on Armenia to recognize
Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and withdraw its armed forces from
the occupied lands.

Azimov stressed that the government of Azerbaijan is ready to ensure
the security of the Armenian community in Karabagh if Armenia accepts
the conditions laid by the Azerbaijani side.

Armenia occupied former autonomous Nagorno-Karabakh region and also
seven other Azerbaijani districts in 1991-94 war, forcing over
700,000 Azerbaijanis to leave their homes. Despite an armistice
signed in May 1994, no final solution has been achieved to the
conflict between the two countries.