KARABAKH ON RUSSIAN PRESIDENT’S AGENDA IN TURKEY

news.az
May 11 2010
Azerbaijan

Dmitry Medvedev Turkey would like to see Russia become more active
in finding a solution to the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over
Nagorno-Karabakh.

These remarks were made by Turkey’s ambassador in Moscow, Halil Akinci,
in an interview with Russian news agency Interfax published on 10 May.

Asked to assess Russia’s role in the Karabakh resolution process
and whether Ankara was insisting on a change in the format of the
negotiations, Akinci said; ‘Turkey takes part in the OSCE Minsk
Group but is not a co-chair. Talks are under way on Turkey becoming
a co-chair but it has not gone beyond the talks stage yet. We believe
that Russia, as a regional country, is capable of contributing to the
Karabakh conflict resolution. After all, Russia is the only regional
country out of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries. Therefore,
Russia could be more active in settling the problem. I think that the
issue will be discussed during President Medvedev’s visit to Turkey.’

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is visiting Turkey on 11-12 May.

Asked in what way Russia could be more active, the ambassador said:
‘The sides to the conflict need to be pushed. They have to be pushed
in order to bring their positions closer together. And Russia can do
this better than anyone else.’

The ambassador confirmed that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was an
important factor for Turkey in the process of rapprochement with
Armenia.

‘Ratification of the protocols [on the normalization of relations with
Armenia] in Turkey is impossible in isolation from the Nagorno-Karabakh
issue,’ he said.

‘I think that Armenia would have gained from opening the border with
Turkey. For many years, we have had a benevolent attitude towards
the Armenians… Armenia needs to weigh up what it would gain and
what it would lose from sorting out relations wtih Turkey.

‘Russia can do a lot to enable this process. Everyone knows Turkey’s
conditions and the limits to its freedom of movement. We have already
done the maximum possible. Armenia cannot occupy Azerbaijani land
for ever; it will have to withdraw some day.’

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress