RUSSIA IS READY TO USE INFLUENCE ON MEDIATORS TO REGULATE NAGORNO GARABAGH CONFLICT

Azerbaijan Business Center
May 14 2008
Azerbaijan

Baku, Fineko/abc.az. Russia is trying to redress a wrong to Azerbaijan
for its voting against resolution on Situation at Azerbaijan occupied
territories proposed by Azerbaijan at the UN General Assembly.

Russian State Duma Chairman Boris Grizlov said today in Baku at the
meeting with Azerbaijan Speaker Ogtay Asadov that Russia uses influence
on other mediator countries to regulate Nagorny Karabakh conflict.

"As OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairman we have a serious impact on other
group participants (US and France), therefore there is a possibility
of talks," B.Grizlov said. All mediator countries voted against
UN resolution.

"Russian position is to provide agreements to which parties of
the conflict will come to. The peace brought outside is useless,"
B.Grizlov said. He delivered speech in the favor of peaceful regulation
of Karabakh problem.

In his turn O.Asadov said he hopes Russia will make more efforts to
solve the conflict.

Ceasefire regime has been applying between the two countries since 1994
within the conflict that has led to occupation of 20% of Azerbaijani
territory by Armenia and existence of almost 1 million refugees and
IDPs. Since then conditions for convocation of the conflict settlement
conference in Minsk, Belarus, under the aegis of OSCE have not been
created. Armenia declines to release the seized Nagorno Garabagh
and seven adjoining regions. And Azerbaijan, in no circumstances,
will agree on recognition of independence of self-proclaimed
Nagorno Garabagh Republic. Garabagh conflict is the oldest display
of separatism on the former USSR area. Georgian-Abkhazian and
Georgian-Osetian conflicts followed on the same scenario, but
Azerbaijan managed not to allow bringing of CIS peacemaking troops
in the country.