Russian foreign minister to discuss Karabakh conflict in Azerbaijan

ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow
30 Jan 05

MOSCOW

The problems of settling the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict will be one of
the main topics of discussion during Russian Foreign Minister Sergey
Lavrov’s official visit to Baku on 1-2 February.

According to official Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Aleksandr
Yakovenko, “Russia welcomes the continuation of the dialogue between
Azerbaijan and Armenia on various different levels and first and
foremost between the presidents of the two countries.” Moscow believes
that “the participants in the conflict must themselves find a mutually
acceptable solution to the conflict”. “Russia is ready to offer them
its most active assistance in this matter, both on a bilateral basis
and in its role as co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, and to act as a
guarantor for the agreement that is reached,” the diplomat said.

During the talks in Baku particular attention will be paid “to
agreeing future steps for increasing the effectiveness of cooperation
in combating terrorism”. The main item on the agenda will be
“increasing the level of economic cooperation in the fuel and energy
sector”. The ministers will touch upon the problems of the Caspian Sea
and exchange opinions on “the potential for holding a second Caspian
summit”.

Also under discussion will be “issues linked to the development of the
regional and international situation, strengthening the central role
played by the UN, increasing cooperation within the CIS and ways to
increase cooperation between the Russian and Azeri foreign ministries
in the Caucasus and on the world stage and the coordination of their
activities within international organizations”.

“In recent years relations with Azerbaijan have taken on the
characteristics of a strategic partnership and have shown positive
trends,” Yakovenko said. “It is symbolic,” he noted, “that Sergey
Lavrov’s first official visit to Baku is taking place at the start of
2005, which has been declared the Year of Azerbaijan in Russia.”