AZERBAIJAN FOR RF CONTINUE ITS ROLE IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH SETTLEMENT

ITAR-TASS
Sept 16 2008
Russia

MAIENDORF CASTLE, Moscow region, September 16 (Itar-Tass) —
Azerbaijan counts on Russia continuing its role in the Nagorno-Karabakh
settlement.

"We count on Russia’s continuing its active role in the settlement of
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev
said on Tuesday after the talks with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

"Despite all difficulties we believe there exist now preconditions
for settlement that would meet the interests of alt the countries
and would be based on norms of international law," he said.

"It is necessary to look for and find mechanisms of effective
cooperation," Aliyev is convinced. He said, if solutions are found
in near future, this will open broad opportunities for cooperation.

As an example of optimum neighbour relations, Aliyev pointed to ties
with Russia, describing them as "exemplary." "We highly appreciate
the level of relations with Russia and are striving to increase them
and, on our part, will be doing the utmost to achieve this aim,"
the Azerbaijani president said.

At the press conference following the meeting, Medvedev remarked that
Russia "supports continuation of direct talks between the presidents
of Azerbaijan and Armenia." "Russia’s stand remains the same: we
will continue in future to give the maximum of assistance to the
quest of mutually acceptable solution of this complicated question,"
the Russian president stressed. "We will continue contacts on this
matter in the near future," Medvedev said.