MOSCOW DECLARATION OF AZERBAIJANI, ARMENIAN, RUSSIAN LEADERS IS BASIS FOR PEACE AGREEMENT: AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT

Trend News Agency
Nov 5 2008
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan, Baku, 5 November /Trend News/ Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev takes the Moscow Declaration of the Azerbaijani, Armenian and
Russian leaders as the basis for a peace agreement.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Armenia’s Serzh Sargsyan and
Russia’s Dmitry Medvedev signed a declaration at the end of their
meeting in Mein Dorf castle near Moscow on 2 November.

Presidents of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan decided to make joint
efforts to normalize the situation in Caucasus and requested Foreign
Ministers to make efforts to solve the [Armenian-Azerbaijani]
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

"The Moscow declaration of the leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenia and
Russia is the basis for a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and
Armenia," President Aliyev said at a news conference in Ankara. It
is President Aliyev’s first official visit to Ankara after his
re-election.

The declaration calls for the settlement of the conflict in line
with the principles and norms of international law and decisions
and documents adopted in this respect, which will create favourable
conditions for economic development and comprehensive cooperation in
the region.

According to Aliyev, the negotiations must be continued in an effort
to settle the conflict.

"The current situation in the region, intensification of Russia
and OSCE Minsk Group’s mediation gives a hope to settle the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," he said.

Azerbaijan welcomes Turkey’s efforts to achieve a fair settlement to
the conflict, he said. "We can see the positive results of Turkey’s
active involvement in the conflict solution."

The relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey have been rich in precise
projects – energy and transport projects, President said. "A lot has
been done to implement the projects. And that proves the fact the
goals we posed are being achieved through joint efforts and the will
of the two states, which maintain fraternal relations," he said,
adding that those projects would open new opportunities and will
bring economic benefit to both countries and the entire region.

The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus began in
1988 due to Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan
lost the Nagorno-Karabakh, except of Shusha and Khojali, in December
1991. In 1992-93, Armenian Armed Forces occupied Shusha, Khojali and
Nagorno-Karabakh’s seven surrounding regions. In 1994, Azerbaijan
and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which time the active
hostilities ended. The countries keep on peace negotiating. OSCE Minsk
Group co-chaired by USA, Russia, France is engaged in peace settling
of the conflict.