RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: "ADOPTION OF THE MOSCOW DECLARATION ON THE KARABAKH ISSUE BY THE PRESIDENTS OF AZERBAIJAN AND ARMENIA IS A BIG STEP FORWARD"
Today.Az
olitics/49024.html
Nov 17 2008
Azerbaijan
Russian Foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said he sees the prospects of
the resolution of the Karabakh conflict.
"Certainly, this way requires time. It is quite long. There is a
light. And I see the light in that both presidents confirmed their
readiness and intention to continue meeting on the high level, which
they did for the first time through 14 years in a form of the document,
they undersigned", said Russian Foreign Minister in his interview to
Ekho Moskvy radio station.
He said this occurred for the first time from the moment of "completion
of the hot phase of the conflict".
"Second, the Moscow declaration contains definite instructions of
President Aliyev and President Sargsyan to their foreign ministers
to intensify work on the search of compromises. Third, they fix the
very fact of existence of the Madrid document, which the co-chairs
transferred to the sides a ear ago and now registered in OSCE",
noted the Minister.
Lavrov attaches special importance to the fact that the "Armenian
and Azerbaijani parties fixed existence of this document and work
consider it on the level of the presidents".
"Each side has its own claim towards the Madrid documents, especially
to the parts, fixing the compromise vision of the settlement of
the remaining differences on three-four issues. But the fact that
both parties fixed existence of a document and readiness to work
considering it is a big step forward", said Lavrov stressing the need
for the participation and cooperation of Russia, United States and
France in this issue.
"Most our partners in the West had suspicions that Russia tries to
create a new format but we do not even think about it, we value the
trilateral format", said he.
"Russia, USA and France to do have tactical discrepancies, work in
the same direction and push the parties towards the agreement. The
Moscow declaration fixes the preserved importance of this mechanism
and it should be used", said Lavrov.