AzerNews Weekly, Azerbaijan
April 9 2010

Yerevan deadlocked after Baku’s accepting peace outline

09-04-2010 05:30:49

Azerbaijan’s accepting the updated version of the Madrid principles,
an outline for settling the Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict proposed
by international mediators, has caused Armenia’s deadlock. Yerevan,
which signed the document at the Athens ministerial in late 2009, has
drastically altered its position, analysts say.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said during a visit to Estonia on
Wednesday that by rejecting the renewed Madrid principles, submitted
by the mediating OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, Armenia is seeking to
maintain the status quo in the conflict settlement, is unwilling to
pull its troops from the occupied Azerbaijani territories, and is
trying to delay the peace process.
The Minsk Group co-chairs representing the United States, Russia and
France initially proposed the peace outline in the Spanish capital in
November 2007. In Athens in November 2009, the updated version of the
Madrid Document was submitted to the sides, and it is presently under
discussion. Baku supports the updated Madrid Document with some
exceptions, which cover the wording of the conflict settlement
principles and the translation of terms.
Armenia’s maneuvering in dealing with the Madrid principles and its
opposing stance, along with complicating the stalled peace talks,
provides grounds for Azerbaijan to pursue other options for resolving
the long-lasting dispute, and Aliyev’s speaking about the Garabagh
problem in Estonia substantiates this conclusion.
Some Azerbaijani analysts suggest that if no progress is achieved in
the negotiating process by May, tension will rise in the region,
translating at least into more beligerent rhetoric and more frequent
ceasefire violations on the contact line of the Azerbaijani and
Armenian troops.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus republics flared up in the
late 1980s due to Armenia’s territorial claims. Armenia has been
occupying over 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s territory since the early
1990s. The ceasefire accord was signed in 1994, but years of peace
talks have brought few tangible results, and sporadic clashes on the
frontline continue.*