TURKISH, AZERBAIJANI, ARMENIAN FMS TO DISCUSS SETTLEMENT OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT, SAYS AMBASSADOR
Trend News Agency
Dec 25 2008
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec. 25 /Trend News, A.Huseynbala/ Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict will be the main subject of discussion at the negotiations
among Foreign Ministers of Turkey, Azerbaijan and Armenia to take
place in early 2009.
The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus began in
1988 due to Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan
lost the Nagorno-Karabakh, except of Shusha and Khojali, in
December 1991. In 1992-93, Armenian Armed Forces occupied Shusha,
Khojali and Nagorno-Karabakh’s seven surrounding regions. In 1994,
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which time
the active hostilities ended. The countries keep on fruitless peace
negotiating. OSCE Minsk Group co-chaired by USA, Russia, and France
is engaged in peace settling of the conflict.
Ali Babacan, Elmar Mammadyarov and Edward Nalbandian will meet in
January or February, 2009, Turkey’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan Hulusi
Kilic said to journalists on Dec. 25.
Ministers will also discuss the Caucasus Platform which was initiated
by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Kilic said.
Turkish PM initiated creation of the Caucasus Stability Platform. All
countries in the region backed the initiative.