AssA-Irada, Azerbaijan
October 22, 2008 Wednesday

AZERI, ARMENIAN AND RUSSIAN LEADERS MEETING TO AID CONFLICT RESOLUTION

Russian Ambassador in Baku Vasiliy Istratov has said possible
trilateral talks among Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian leaders could
facilitate a settlement to the Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict.
President Dmitry Medvedev has offered to hold the meeting, and it now
remains to await the consent from Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Serzh
Sarkisian to come to Russia for that meeting, Istratov told reporters
on Wednesday. Medvedev made the proposal to host the tripartite
meeting on Garabagh settlement during his visit to Yerevan on Tuesday
where he had talks with Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian. Commenting
on Baku and Ankaras discontent over President Medvedevs paying tribute
to the victims of the alleged genocide of Armenians while in Yerevan,
Istratov said this did not imply that Russia recognized the genocide.
The Russian head of state also lays flowers at the Alley of Martyrs
[the cemetery where Garabagh war victims were laid to rest] when
visiting Azerbaijan. This is merely a rule of official procedures, the
ambassador said.