Trend, Azerbaijan
July 10 2009
Azerbaijani, Armenian presidents’ Moscow meeting to enable to enter
finish line: OSCE MG Russian Co-Chair
Azerbaijan, Baku, July 10 /Trend News, E.Tariverdiyeva/
The Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents’ Moscow meeting will help in
reaching the finish line of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement,
the Russian Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, Yuriy Merzlyakov, said
at a news conference in Baku on July 10.
The next meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents, Serzh
Sargsyan and Ilham Aliyev, is scheduled to be held in Moscow in
mid-July during the informal international horse races for the Russian
President’s Prize. The last time Aliyev and Sargsyan met was in
St. Petersburg on June 4.
"Our visit to the region was devoted to organizing the presidents’
meeting in Moscow and during the preparation we have continued to
exchange views on a number of the outstanding basic principles for the
settlement of the conflict," said Merzlyakov.
"And we are satisfied with the meeting with the presidents. The
conversation was very constructive and I felt the presidents’ positive
mood for the upcoming meeting," said the diplomat.
"We hope to conclude negotiations on at least on two issues to resolve
the conflict, and then open a new debate on the topic which has been
discussed only in general terms so far," the French Co-Chair, Bernard
Fassier said.
The diplomat expressed his hope that if they could achieve both
presidents’ approval on the basic principles by late 2009, then it
will be possible to continue the work and transform it into a treaty
next year.
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.