RUSSIA TO PRESENT A PACKAGE OF PEACE INITIATIVES FOR THE KARABAKH SETTLEMENT

armradio.am
16.09.2008 13:33

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will hold talks today with
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in the Meindorf residence outside
Moscow. Moscow was the initiator of this summit meeting. Kommersant
reports that Russia will propose a package of peace initiatives for
a settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict to Aliyev and try at
the same time to guarantee that Baku will steer clear of Western
political and energy games.

Relations between Baku and Yerevan will receive particular attention
in today’s Russian-Azerbaijani talks, and specifically within the
context of a settlement in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. In the
final declaration of the CSTO summit, it is noted that the allies are
"concerned with the growing military potential and escalation of
tensions in the Caucasus region." Many observers, including those
in Baku, think that phrase should be interpreted as a warning to
Azerbaijan, where the need to retake "territories occupied by Armenia"
is voiced from time to time.

Source in the Russian Foreign Ministry close to today’s negotiations
say openly that Moscow would like a firm guarantee from Baku that it
will not consider military means to solve the Karabakh problem either
before or after the October presidential elections there.

Moscow, which, along with France and the Un ited States, took part
in searching for a settlement to the Karabakh conflict as part of
the OSCE Minsk Group, plans to propose its own plan to Azerbaijan
and Armenia. The first point of that plan is the organization of a
meeting between Aliyev and Sargsyan in Russia with the participation
of Medvedev.