AZERI OFFICIAL HAILS DECLARATION WITH ARMENIA ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH

Hurriyet
Nov 3 2008
Turkey

A joint declaration by the Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian presidents
on settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is very significant
and reflects all aspects of the talks, a high level Azeri official
was quoted by Azerbaijan’s Trend News as saying Monday.

Armenian President and his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev signed
a declaration at the end of their meeting in Moscow on Sunday, and
called for a "peaceful resolution" to their dispute over the province
of Nagorno-Karabakh on the basis of "binding international guarantees".

"There is no need to look for something new in signing of the
document. The talks still continue and the document indicates their
significance. Foundation is needed to be laid to shift to next stage,"
Khazar Ibrahim, spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan,
told reporters.

"Oral statements are usually followed by the signing of a document. It
was necessary to sign the document. Azerbaijan is determined to
continue talks. The next stages of the talks are not known yet,"
Ibrahim said.

The conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia began in 1988 on Armenian
territorial claims over Azerbaijan.

Since 1992, Armenian Armed Forces have occupied 20 percent of
Azerbaijan including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven
surrounding districts, displacing 10 percent of the Azeri population
in the series of bloody clashes both between and within the two
neighboring countries.

In 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which
time the active hostilities ended. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk
Group are currently holding peaceful negotiations.

Nearly 30,000 were killed in the 1990s war over the enclave and
soldiers on both sides continue to exchange sporadic fire, claiming
lives.

BRYZA WELCOMES DECLARATION Matthew Bryza, the American co-chair of
the OSCE Minsk Group, also said the declaration is a very important
step towards resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

"It is constructive character and contains several important items –
a solution to the conflict only through political means and the point
that the country would solve the conflict, together with the OSCE
Minsk Group," Bryza told Trend News.

The declaration would give the co-chairs the space and opportunities
for further successful negotiations to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict, he said.

RUSSIA KEEN TO MAINTAIN INFLUENCE The Kremlin says 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.

Moscow also says it would support a solution that satisfies both
sides and is ready to act as a settlement guarantor.

Analysts say Moscow is keen to maintain influence in Armenia, its
main ally in the Caucasus, after the conflict between Russia and
U.S.-allied Georgia in August raised tensions throughout the region.

The August war, which began when Georgia attacked its own breakaway
enclave of South Ossetia, raised fears of similar violence in
Nagorno-Karabakh.