Russia Today, Russia
Nov 2 2008

Caucasian knot may be untied in Moscow

The presidents of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia are meeting in Moscow
to discuss ways of resolving the ongoing dispute over
Nagorno-Karabakh. Also known as the Artsakh Republic, the region,
which is inhabited mainly by Armenians unilaterally declared
independence from Azerbaijan in 1991. An armed conflict broke out,
which ended with an unofficial ceasefire three years later, but the
region is still in limbo.

Seven hundred couples getting married at the same time – that’s what
you can truly call a mass celebration.

Such a large-scale wedding is an unusual event for any place, but
especially for Nagorno-Karabakh, a land with a grim past and uncertain
future.

As the presidents of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia meet in Moscow to
find a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute, the main
question is how effective will the talks be.

Aleksandr Karavayev from the Centre for CIS Studies at Moscow State
University doesn’t expect much from these talks. He does admit,
however, that they could serve as a conduit to further meetings.

`We shouldn’t expect any breakthroughs, but perhaps this new format of
talks could help Armenia and Azerbaijan create a new base for further
negotiations,’ Karavayev says.

So far, attempts to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute have been
mediated by the twelve-member Minsk Group of the OSCE, co-chaired by
the United States, Russia and France.

The idea of a separate, three-way meeting between the two sides and
Russia was proposed by President Dmitry Medvedev during his recent
visit to Armenia.

`France and the U.S. are not regional players in this dispute and can
only monitor from outside, but Russia is. The new format doesn’t
replace the Minsk Group and Washington has already said it’s not
against this idea,’ says Karavayev.

Nagorno-Karabakh is mostly populated by Armenians and used to be part
of the Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan in the USSR.

In 1991 the region unilaterally declared independence, which resulted
in several years of violence and tens of thousands of refugees fleeing
the area.

Since the ceasefire in 1994, most of Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as a
number of regions of Azerbaijan in close proximity, remain under joint
Armenian and Nagorno-Karabakh military control.

Armenia remains committed to the region’s independence, while
Azerbaijan says its territorial integrity must be respected.

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