BREAK-THROUGH IN NEGOTIATION PROCESS NOT TO COME SOON: MINISTER
Trend News Agency
Aug 1 2008
Azerbaijan
Russia, Moscow, 1 August /Trend News corr. R.Agayev/ There
is understanding between Azerbaijan and Armenia regarding peace
settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, but a break-through will
not come soon, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said
at a briefing in Moscow on 1 August.
Mammadyarov and his Armenian counterpart Edward Nalbandyan
met in Moscow on 1 August to discuss basic principles of the
Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict settlement.
"We discussed how to overpass the stumbling blocks in settlement of
the conflict," said Mammadyarov.
According to Azerbaijani Minister, negotiations were intensive and
useful. The sides agreed to continue the talks.
According to Armenian Foreign Minister Nalbandyan, next meeting
between the ministers may take place in New-York within the session
of the UN General Assembly, or earlier.
Nalbandyan said the negotiations were constructive. "We keep on
discussing to bring together our positions. Understanding is the main
thing between the sides. The more it is, the better," said Nalbandyan.
The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus began
in 1988 due to 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 the active hostilities ended. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk
Group (Russia, France, and the US) are currently holding peaceful
negotiations.