AzerNews, Azerbaijan
April 28 2005
Speaker calls on Russia to step up efforts
The Upper Garabagh conflict settlement should meet the interests of
the conflicting sides – Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Russia is ready to act as guarantor in the conflict resolution, the
visiting Russian Federation Council [upper house of parliament]
chairman Sergey Mironov said in a meeting with Azerbaijani parliament
speaker Murtuz Alasgarov on Thursday.
Mironov stated that the efforts by the mediating OSCE Minsk Group
have been fruitless. “It appears that the sides may reach the desired
results only through direct talks”, he said.
Alasgarov said that meetings between the presidents of Azerbaijan and
Armenia are the most optimal format for the conflict settlement. The
speaker said that OSCE Minsk Group should be more active in resolving
the problem, calling on Russia, as the MG co-chair, to step up its
efforts. He noted that separatism has assumed a broad scale in Upper
Garabagh.
“Russia should be interested in peace in the Caucasus, as this means
putting an end to separatism and terrorism in the region.”
Alasgarov proposed to hold the next meeting of parliament speakers of
the ‘Caucasus four’ (Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia) in
Moscow on May 24-27.
Mironov told journalists on the same day that the meeting, originally
scheduled for Friday, had been postponed due to the Armenian
speaker’s alleged ‘visit schedule changes’.