OFFICIAL BAKU CONSIDERS SIGNING OF MOSCOW STATEMENT NEW STAGE IN CONFLICT SETTLEMENT

Trend News Agency
Nov 3 2008
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan, Baku, 03 November / TrendNews, corr. I.Alizade / Official
Baku considers that signing joint statement on the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict settlement between the Presidents of Azerbaijan, Armenia and
Russia in Moscow will accelerate the process of the conflict solution.

"Signing the statement is an historical event for the conflict
settlement and is the beginning of a new process," Novruz Mammadov,
Head of Azerbaijan Presidential Administration’s Foreign Relations
Department, told TrendNews on 3 November.

On 2 November at Mayn Dorf Palace in Moscow, the Presidents of
Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Armenia Serj Sarkisyan and Russia Dmitry
Medvedev passed a statement as a result of their meeting. The statement
highlights solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in accordance
with the international law.

During his visit to Armenia last month, the President of Russia
suggested the heads of the two states to meet in Moscow.

"If the Armenian side thinks that the conflict solution is very
necessary for its people, state and there is not other way of
conflict settlement, undoubtedly the joint statement signed in Moscow
must accelerate the process. If to take into consideration that the
Russian side, as a guarantee, signed the document, then there is no
doubt that the statement will accelerate the conflict settlement,"
official of the Presidential Administration said.

He said that the document signed in Moscow is the result of 14
years difficult talks with regards to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
settlement. Mammadov stated that this is the first document being
signed between the Presidents regarding the settlement of this
conflict. The official of the Presidential Administration said that
up to now, difficult moments have always existed and it was impossible
to reach a mutual understanding. "Now signing such a document at least
is an unique event in the process of the conflict settlement," he said.

He thinks that the document makes clear many moments with the conflict
settlement and determines and concretizes certain duties facing the
Presidents, the sides.

"The document shows that the conflict exists between the two
countries and must be solved based on the principles and norms of
the international law, in a step-by-step manner. In addition, the
document says that the OSCE Minsk Group must actively work in the
settlement of the conflict and the co-chairmen should strengthen their
mediation. The statement may be compass in the conflict settlement. The
document reflects the base principles and the OSCE Minsk Group member
countries support this," Mammadov said.

Mammadov said that the Presidents of the three countries have not
discussed the placement of peaceful forces in the region after the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement.

"If this issue would be discussed, this would be reflected in the
document. There is such an opinion that there will be no need to place
peaceful forces in the region after the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
settlement. I consider that we have passed the most difficult years,
stage. The signed document may reduce the tension. If there was not
need for peaceful forces in the difficult situation which existed up
to now, we ourselves have ensured peace, is it necessary to bring
peaceful forces under the condition where reduction is observed in
tension? Maybe for this reason, the agenda does not include the issue
of peaceful forces and maybe will not include," the official of the
Presidential Administration said.

He said that already the USA has also approved the document signed in
Moscow. "The USA also considers that the document was established based
on the base principles and the work must be continued in this regard
and the document will accelerate the settlement process," he said.

The conflict between the two countries of South Caucasus began in 1988
due to territorial claims by Armenia against Azerbaijan. Armenia has
occupied 20% of the Azerbaijani land including the Nagorno-Karabakh
region and its seven surrounding Districts. Since 1992, these
territories have been under the occupation of the Armenian Forces. 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 USA) are currently holding peaceful negotiations.