Russia expects progress in Karabakh issue at Sochi talks

BAKU, January 23 (RIA Novosti)

Russia is expecting progress in talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan
on the Nagorny Karabakh issue, the head of the Russian president’s
administration said on Saturday, ahead of a meeting of Russian,
Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents in Russia’s Black Sea resort city
of Sochi.

The issue of Nagorny Karabakh, a breakaway region inside Azerbaijan
with a predominantly ethnic Armenian population, has been a sticking
point in relations between the two former Soviet states.

The conflict first erupted in 1988, when the region claimed
independence from Azerbaijan to join Armenia. Over 30,000 people are
estimated to have died on both sides between 1988 and 1994, when a
ceasefire was agreed. Nagorny Karabakh has remained in Armenian
control since then.

Both Caucasus states continuing the exchange of allegations of
ceasefire violations over the disputed region, and Azerbaijan
threatening to use force if talks yield no results.

Russia, along with France and the United States, is a member of the
OSCE Minsk Group, which mediates the conflict.

"I want to say that Aliyev highly appreciates Russia’s role in this
process, and we expect progress [in talks would be reached] to resolve
the problem, including at the upcoming meeting in Sochi," Sergei
Naryshkin, who is paying a working visit to the Azerbaijani capital,
Baku, said after talks with the country’s president, Ilham Aliyev.

Dmitry Medvedev, Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliyev will meet in Sochi on
January 25.

The Minsk Group reported some important progress in talks between the
Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders in Munich late last year, but
tensions between the two ex-Soviet republics remain high.

The Nagorny Karabakh issue is an obstacle to opening borders and
reestablishing diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey, which
supports Azerbaijan’s position. Last October, the two states signed a
reconciliation agreement, however, the accords are still to be
ratified by the two countries’ parliaments.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress