Russia Today
Nov 22 2009

Azerbaijan-Armenia territory talks: force may be used if no results

22 November, 2009, 16:43

Azerbaijan’s President has warned neighboring Armenia that his country
is ready to resort to military force to resolve their territorial
dispute if talks over the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh fail.

The two countries’ leaders, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and
Azeri President Ilham Aliyev, are meeting on Sunday in Munich.

"If no results are achieved at this meeting, the hopes we pin on the
talks will be exhausted, and no other way will remain for us. We must
be prepared for this," Aliyev said while visiting Azerbaijanâ??s
Geranboi district on Friday, Interfax news agency reports.

He noted that the recent talks did not produce any results because the
Armenian side demonstrated an unconstructive position, and said the
current meeting in Munich is likely to be conclusive.

The region has a largely Armenian population and has been a source of
conflict between the former Soviet republics since the late 1980s.

A war between Armenia and Azerbaijan for the area began in 1991, when
Nagorno-Karabakh unilaterally declared independence. Around 30,000
people were killed.

Most of Nagorno-Karabakh has remained under joint Armenian and
Nagorno-Karabakh military control, since the ceasefire in 1994.

Up to now the Nagorno-Karabakh republic has not been recognized by the
international community.