KARABAKH ROLE IN TALKS ‘OUT OF THE QUESTION,’ SAYS AZERBAIJAN
Asbarez
Jan 26th, 2010
Russia — President Dmitry Medvedev (C) meets with his Armenian and
Azerbaijani counterparts Serzh Sarkisina and Ilham Aliyev in Sochi
on January 25, 2010
BAKU, MOSCOW (Combined Sources)-The participation of Karabakh in
the peace talks at this juncture is "out of the question," said
Azeri Foreign Ministry spokesman Elkhan Polukhov Tuesday, after
the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan reportedly agreed to a
preamble of an updated version of the so-called "Madrid Principles"
at a meeting with their Russian counterpart Monday in Sochi.
"There is no doubt that the Armenian community of Nagorno Karabakh
will join the negotiations at some point, but, currently, it is out
of the question, since it would be wrong and unacceptable to involve
a non-party to the conflict in the process," said Polukhov as reported
by the APA news agency.
Polukhov said that reports of Karabakh’s participation in the talks
were merely an effort by the Armenian media to "calm the Armenian
audience."
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov Monday announced that presidents
Serzh Sarkisian and Ilham Aliyev had agreed to a preamble of the
Madrid principles during a meeting with Russian President Demitry
Medvedev. Sources close to the process reported that the preamble of
the revised principles included a provision on Karabakh’s participation
in the talks.
Polukhov said only Armenia and Azerbaijan were sides to conflict and
thus the lead parties in the negotiations.
Meanwhile Russian OSCE Minsk Group co-chairman Yuri Merzlyakov
reported that Armenia and Azerbaijan will have two weeks to submit
their proposals on the provisions of the Madrid principles, on which
the parties have not reached a mutual understanding.
Merzlyakov said that after reviewing the proposals, he and his fellow
co-chairmen from France and the US would return to the region for
further discussions.
None of the sides commented publicly after the tri-lateral meeting
in Sochi. However, an Armenia Public Radio reporter observed that the
president and foreign minister of Azerbaijan were visibly anxious as
they emerged from the meetings.
ArmRadio also reported that when the presidents arrived at the Adler
airport to meet the Minsk Group Co-Chairs, Azeri president Aliyev
did not event greet reporters, which the radio correspondent viewed
as another sign of his irritation.