TURKEY MOVES TO HOST SUMMIT ON GARABAGH
AzerNews Weekly
Nov 12 2008
Azerbaijan
Turkish President Abdullah Gul is preparing to host a summit with
the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan in a move to at last bring
peace to the two countries, Turkey`s Today`s Zaman English-language
newspaper reported.
Gul, who introduced his proposal for the trilateral meeting during
his talks last Wednesday with Azerbaijan`s visiting President Ilham
Aliyev, received a positive response from the Azerbaijani leader,
the publication quoted diplomatic sources as saying.
Gul`s initiative follows another meeting between Aliyev and Armenian
President Serzh Sarkisian hosted in Moscow on November 2 by Russian
President Dmitry Medvedev. There, Aliyev and Sarkisian agreed to
develop confidence-building measures as they seek a solution to the
long-standing Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict involving the two
South Caucasus republics.
Gul has already voiced support for the Moscow talks and expressed
hope that it would be followed by other steps, while the Turkish
Foreign Ministry, separately, said a network of relations based upon
cooperation and mutual trust within the framework of Turkey`s proposal
for a regional platform could build confidence between Armenia and
Azerbaijan. Ankara will soon send its proposal for a trilateral
summit to Yerevan, according to officials. The date and venue of the
meeting will be decided later, though Istanbul has been mentioned as
the probable meeting site.
"The summit may take place in a few months," a Turkish official,
speaking on condition of anonymity, told Today`s Zaman.
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov told the newspaper that
the decision concerning the meeting`s venue and date was up to Turkey,
adding that the agenda of the trilateral summit might span beyond the
Garabagh conflict. The minister also reiterated support for Turkey`s
proposal to establish the Caucasus Stability and Cooperation Platform.
Turkey`s proposal came following a brief war between Georgia and
Russia in August, and it aims to bring Turkey, Armenia, Russia,
Azerbaijan and Georgia together around the same table.
Turkish Ambassador in Baku Hulusi Kilic said Tuesday the leaders of
Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkey are due to meet by the year-end.
The ambassador noted that his country welcomed Moscow`s initiative
that brought together the Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian presidents
for the signing of the declaration on Garabagh.
"Regardless of who is acting as a mediator, we support a speedy
resolution of this conflict. We applaud Russia`s efforts aimed
at finding a solution to the problem. Both Russia and Turkey are
countries bordering on Azerbaijan and Armenia, therefore, both are
interested in a settlement to this conflict," Kilic said.