UPDATED
Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
Nov 2 2008
Presidents of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia Sign Declaration – UPDATED
02.11.08 18:01
Azerbaijan, Baku, 2 November/ TrendNews /A declaration was signed as a
result of a meeting of Presidents of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia –
Ilham Aliyev, Serge Sargsyan and Dmitry Medvedev, in the Main Dorf
palace in Moscow on 2 November. President of Russia proposed the two
countries’ presidents meet in Moscow during his visit to Armenia last
month.
The Kremlin noted that the principle position of Russia in the
Nagorno-Karabakh settlement is that the final choice regarding the
status of disputed territories must be made by Armenians and
Azerbaijanis. In doing so, Moscow will support a solution that
satisfies both sides and is ready to act as a guarantor settlement
The leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to work together
on healing the current situation in the Caucasus, as well as
instructed foreign ministers to continue work on the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict, RIA Novosti reported. Presidents of Russia, Armenia and
Azerbaijan declared that they would contribute to health the situation
in South Caucasus and establish regional stability and security
through a political solution to the conflict after they substantively
and substantially discussed the state and prospects of settling of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict by political means through the continuation
of direct dialogue between Azerbaijan and Armenia and mediation of
Russia, the United States and France as co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk
Group, the declaration said . The declaration envisages settlement of
the conflict on the basis of the principles and norms of international
law and adopted in the framework of decisions and documents, which
will create favorable conditions for economic development and
comprehensive cooperation in the region. Declaration was read out by
Dmitry Medvedev after negotiations.
Armenia has occupied 20% of Azerbaijan’s lands including
Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding seven regions. The occupation began
in 1988. Azerbaijan lost the Nagorno-Karabakh, except of Shusha and
Khojali, in December 1991. In 1992-93, Armenian Armed Forces occupied
Shusha, Khojali and Nagorno-KarabakhÑ – s seven surroundingregions.
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,
but fruitless negotiations