CONTINUITY RETAINED IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT REGULATION: RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY

Trend
March 6 2009
Azerbaijan

The Russian Foreign Ministry says the continuity in the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution has been retained.

"The continuity of the negotiation process on the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict has been retained, despite the political situation during the
presidential elections in both Armenia and Azerbaijan," the Russian
Foreign Ministry 2008- report, which was placed in Ministry’s Web
site, says.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed
forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including
the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts. Azerbaijan
and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of
the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the U.S. – are currently
holding the peace negotiations.

For the first time during the e-period international mediators –
OSCE MG co-chairs on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution (Russia,
the U.S. and France), got an opportunity to continue consultations
with the countries in the region and abroad, the report says.

During the meetings international mediators sought to secure continuity
of direct contacts between the sides to agree basic principles of
regulation. Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia have met twice in
St.Petersburg on June 6 and Moscow Nov. 2.

The repeated meetings of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev with the
Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia to discuss the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict have provided a leading role to Russia on the resolution of
the conflict.

A trilateral declaration aimed to reach a peaceful regulation to the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict through political means has been achieved
as a result of meetings with attendance of Russian president. This is
the first document on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict that was signed
by Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia, the reports says.