AZERBAIJANI, ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER MAY MEET IN MADRID

Trend
07.11.07 14:08

Azerbaijan, Baku / corr Trend E.Huseynov / The next meeting of the
Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers to discuss a peaceful
resolution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict might be held in Madrid
late this November.

"The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs proposed holding the meeting in Madrid
at the end of November as part of a meeting of the OSCE. Presently,
I am waiting for news from the co-chairs on further plans," said
Elmar Mammadyarov, the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister, in an interview
with Trend.

The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus region
began in 1988 as a result of Armenian territorial claims against
Azerbaijan. Since 1992, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20%
of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven
surrounding districts. In 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a
ceasefire agreement, at which time active hostilities ended. The
Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group ( Russia, France, and the US)
are currently holding peaceful negotiations.

The minister said he was waiting for a reply from the co-chairs
after their most recent tour of Azerbaijan. "They left Azerbaijan
for Armenia, intending to continue the tour of diplomacy. However,
no news is forthcoming about the co-chairs’ activities and it seems
their talks in Yerevan were unsuccessful," the minister said.

With respect to a statement by Matthew Bryza, the OSCE Minsk Group
co-chair, on the possibility of achieving an agreement between
the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan before the presidential
elections in Armenia on May 2008, the minister said that that this
is a hypothetical issue and it is difficult to comment on it. There
is willingness on our side. If we can reach an agreement and the
Armenian side has a political will, of course, it can be signed.