Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
May 23 2009

Armenia begins to have a negative pressure on the peace process – the
Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan
23.05.09 21:28

Syria, Damascus, May 23 / Trend News corr. U. Sadihova /

In St. Petersburg, the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan will
continue to discuss those issues that continue to remain being on the
agenda of the peace settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, said
to Trend News in an interview Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar
Mammadyarov.

In Damascus, Mammadyarov participates in the 36th meeting of Foreign
Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC).

"Discussions between the parties will take place in framework, already
defined on the agenda, as continuation of the meeting in Prague."

The presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia, Ilham Aliyev and Serj
Sarkisyan plan to meet again in June in St. Petersburg within the
framework of participation in the economic forum.

"Of course, the Presidents will discuss any topic that is planned to
be discussed, but now I would very much wish to hear the notes of
constructivism by Armenia. Despite the development of the new
situation in the region, Armenia, unfortunately, began to have a
negative pressure on the peace process."

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.

"We have reached everything in the peace process with the former
administration of Armenia (during the Kocharyan presidency), with the
current administration in Armenia, we have not achieved anything. As a
person leading the negotiations, I can not say that we have made even
some progress in current issues "- said Mammadyarov.

According to the minister, from the date of new president’s coming
into power in Armenia, "the situation hasn’t changed a bit. "

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress