Web India123, India
July 12 2005

Armenia peace deal close at hand:-
YEREVAN, Armenia | July 12, 2005 12:01:13 AM IST

Former Soviet states Armenia and Azerbaijan may be close to a deal on
Nagorno-Karabakh, ending the two neighbors’ 17-year ethnic conflict over the
region.

Radio Free Europe, quoting sources in the Armenian capital of Yerevan,
reported Tuesday the peace deal would allow the ethnic Armenians in
Nagorno-Karabakh to decide their status in an internationally supervised
referendum.

Armenia, which is largely Christian, and Muslim Azerbaijan have fought over
the territory, inhabited mostly by Armenians, since 1988. The conflict
worsened after both countries gained independence from the Soviet Union in
1991.

The sources told RFE that the parties have agreed on the key points of the
peace deal, which could be formalized by the end pf this year or early next
year.

In the referendum, Karabakh Armenians would decide, in a vote within 10 to
15 years, whether they want to be independent, become a part of Armenia or
return to Azerbaijani rule.