PEOPLE’S DIPLOMACY MAY BE USED AFTER AZERBAIJAN, ARMENIA COME TO SOME AGREEMENT – AZERBAIJANI FOREIGN MINISTER

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
Dec 19 2007

Azerbaijan, Baku / Òrend corr K. Ramazanova / People’s diplomacy may
be used after Azerbaijan and Armenia come to some agreement, Elmar
Mammadyarov, the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister said to journalists
on 18 December. "I do not see any problem in the meetings of
NGO representatives of both the countries’," he said. According
to Mammadyarov, in case any agreement is achieved, people will be
informed about it.

The Minister also touched upon the document which was submitted to
the conflicting sides by the OSCE Minsk Group’s co-chairs in Madrid.

He said the work over the document is in progress. "I positively
treat the document. But it has several points, which require
revision. Azerbaijan does not agree on the several points. But we
are working on the document," the Minister said.

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

Although the Minks Group had made different suggestion, Armenia did
not turn down its non-constructive position. The last time when
the co-chairs made written suggestions to the conflicting sides,
was in November. At present, the two countries are considering the
suggestions.

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