NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT LIKELY TO BE SETTLED: RUSSIAN FM

Trend News Agency
07.10.08 12:22
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan, Baku, 7 October /Trend News corr. N.Abdullayeva/ Russian
Foreign Minister believes the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict may be settled.

"Two or three issues on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict remain
unsolved. They will be coordinated at the next meetings between
Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents," Russian FM Sergei Lavrov said
to the Russian Newspaper.

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.

According to Lavrov, the meetings are likely to take place after the
upcoming presidential elections in Azerbaijan. "The Lachin passage
is the most important issue. As one of the three intermediaries,
we feel settlement is quite real," he said.

Certainly, it is Armenia and Azerbaijan to settle the conflict within
the direct agreements. But intermediaries, Russia, United States
and France, which are well aware of all minutest details and the
sensitivity of the process, see opportunities to settle the conflict,
said FM.

According to Lavrov, even before the Caucasus crisis there had
been a good chance to promote the Nagorno-Karabakh settling via
direct meetings between Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents through
mediators. A substantial document, describing almost all principles
and mechanisms of settlement, was devised.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress