AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Oct 22 2004

Key conflict settlement parameters determined – Russian co-chair

Armenia, under the influence of outside forces, has nearly agreed to
return the Jabrayil, Zangelan and Fuzuli regions it currently
controls to Azerbaijan in exchange for releasing transport and energy
communications.

This was recently stated by the leader of Armenian Democratic Party,
ex-presidential adviser on foreign issues Aram Sarkisian in the
country’s parliament.
He said the USA is applying pressure on the Armenian side on
withdrawing from the occupied territories, as this country is
interested opening the railway lines.

Sarkisian continued that these issues were also discussed at a recent
meeting of the Presidents of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and of Armenia
Robert Kocharian in Astana. Considering this Armenia’s positions in
the Upper Garabagh conflict settlement have “sharply weekened”, as in
all international documents Armenia is presented as an aggressor and
is compelled to justify the occupation.
The Russian co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Yuri Merzlyakov, in
turn, told “Liberty” Radio station that he was unaware of any details
of the Azeri and Armenian Presidents’ meeting. He also refuted media
reports about the “Moscow Formula” for the conflict settlement
allegedly proposed by Russian President Putin.
Merzlyakov also said that the Presidents of the two countries were
expected to issue statements following their meeting in Astana, and
that Azerbaijan and Armenia will resume talks in late October-early
November.
“A lot has been agreed upon and it’s time to start more detailed
negotiations on the level of experts to prepare documents”, the
Russian co-chair said.