Trend, Azerbaijan
April 9 2010
Azerbaijani FM: Turkey confirms invariability of its position on
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
09.04.2010 20:39
Azerbaijan, Baku, April 9 /Trend, U.Sadikhova/
Turkey has confirmed the invariability of its position on the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Elmar
Mammadyarov briefed the media on April 9, answering a question about
today’s meeting with Firudin Sinirlioglu, Turkish Foreign Ministry’s
adviser and special envoy of the Turkish Prime Minister.
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister described the meeting as
"comprehensive," which, firstly covered the question of negotiations
scheduled in Washington between Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan and Armenian President Serj Sargsyan at the summit on nuclear
safety.
With regards to Turkey’s position on the impossibility of opening the
border with Armenia without any tangible progress in resolving the
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, Mammadyarov said that Ankara remains
committed to its promises.
On Friday, the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister and Special Envoy of
Turkish Prime Minister held a bilateral meeting which firstly focused
on the negotiations and meetings planned in the framework of nuclear
summit in Washington. Mammadyarov had a conversation with his Turkish
counterpart in the morning, where were also discussed these topics.
"The Turkish side confirmed that it will take steps in matters that
bring peace and stability to the South Caucasus, and will try to get a
result from the meeting in Washington to begin progress, marked by the
adoption of updated Madrid principles [by Armenia] and creating the
possibility that we continue to work over a larger agreement,"
Mammadyarov said to joint press conference with EU Commissioner for
Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy, Stefan Füle, on April
9.
In his turn, the Commissioner Füle, who made his first official visit
to Azerbaijan under his current mandate, highlighted the European
Union’s commitment to peaceful solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict and the work of the OSCE Minsk Group in this regard.
According to him, the EU plans to take several important steps to
resolve conflict and achieve peace in the region.
"Certain time ago, I spoke with the President of Armenia Serj
Sargsyan, and today held talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev, they both expressed their commitment to peaceful resolution of
the conflict," said Füle.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994.
The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the U.S. –
are currently holding the peace negotiations.