RESOLUTION OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT FEASIBLE AS ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN ISSUE JOINT DECLARATION
Natalia Leshchenko

World Markets Research Centre
Global Insight
November 3, 2008

The landmark talks between the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents
Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliyev resulted in a joint declaration on
Nagorno-Karabakh settlement. The parties committed to resolving the
conflict by peaceful means on the basis of international law. Foreign
ministers of both states are instructed to intensify the negotiation
process in cooperation with the Minsk Group of the Organisation of
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). According to reports,
Azerbaijan is ready to grant the Armenian-dominated province a wide
autonomy, while Armenia insists on self-determination for the province;
talks recently have focused on calling a referendum in the region,
and Armenia withdrawing its armed forces stationed in the province.

Significance: Although declaratory, the document bears a paramount
importance for the resolution of one of the longest-standing
separation conflicts in the Commonwealth of Independent States
(CIS); although the declaration does not list clear steps ahead,
the failure of the summit that took a painfully long time to arrange
would have been a serious drawback for the process. Russian President
Dmitry Medvedev can congratulate himself on successful mediation,
and on bringing the negotiation process under the Russian roof,
which marks more prominence for Russia in the future settlement,
and by definition pushes out the U.S.- brokered efforts. Overall,
as we reported earlier, the prospects for the settlement are the best
they have ever been over the 14-year long course of the conflict.