MEDVEDEV, SARGSYAN TO DISCUSS BILATERAL PROBLEMS, KARABAKH
ITAR-TASS
Jan 18 2010
Russia
MOSCOW, January 18 (Itar-Tass) – Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
will hold talks with his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sargsyan who will
begins his working visit to Moscow on Monday, the Kremlin’s press
service said.
The two leaders will focus on bilateral relations and the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict settlement. In particular, they will eye an
opportunity for holding a tripartite meeting on the problem with
participation of Azerbaijani President Ilkham Aliyev.
"During the visit a tripartite meeting among the presidents of Armenia,
Russia and Azerbaijan will be discussed," the Armenian president’
s spokesman, Samvel Farmanian, said. "Russia as a co-chair of the
OSCE Minsk Group on Nagorno Karabakh takes serious mediation efforts
to resolve the conflict and Armenia highly appreciates these efforts."
"The two countries’ leaders will also continue a high-level political
dialogue and discuss cooperation of the two countries, which are
strategic partners, as well as regional problems," the spokesman said.
This meeting will be the first one this year. In 2009 Medvedev and
Sargsyan held seven meetings.
The settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict tops the agenda
of the high-level talks and meetings. In February 1988 the Nagorno
Karabakh Autonomous Region announced its intention to secede from
Azerbaijan and join Armenia, which waged the armed conflict in the
region in 1991-1994.
The negotiating process was launched by Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan
and Armenia on September 23, 1991. In March 1992 at Moscow’s initiative
the OSCE Minsk Group that brought together 12 countries was created. At
present, the negotiations are held within the framework of this Group
that is co-chaired by Russia, the U.S. and France. In 1999 Baku and
Yerevan began a high-level direct dialogue. In 2009 the Armenian and
Azerbaijani presidents held nine meetings.
On November 2, 2008, at the initiative of Russian President Dmitry
Medvedev the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia met in Moscow
to adopt a declaration defining the principles of the conflict
settlement. This was the first document signed by the conflicting
parties almost for 15 years.
During the whole negotiating process the parties’ positions remained
unchanged. Azerbaijan insists on liberation of its territories and
the return of refugees and is ready to give a high autonomy status
to Nagorno Karabakh within its borders.
Armenia seeks clarification of Nagorno Karabakh’s political status
(subordination to Azerbaijan is ruled out) and its international
recognition.
Russia believes that Armenia and Azerbaijan have to reach mutual
political and diplomatic understanding. Moreover, Moscow repeatedly
announced that it was ready to be a guarantor in the conflict
settlement.
Aside from the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement the
Russian-Armenian talks will focus on economic issues and cooperation
in energy, chemical industry, metallurgy and diamond processing.
Russia is Armenia’s major trade partner. In 2008 the bilateral trade
reached 900 million U.S. dollars. The two countries set the task to
boost the trade to 1 billion U.S. dollars, but the recession reduced
the output by 20 percent.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress