Yerevan agreed to free part of occupied Azeri land, reports say
Some world media outlets have circulated reports saying an
agreement had been reached on Armenia’s returning some of the
occupied Azerbaijani territories soon during Sunday’s talks on the
Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict held between the Azerbaijani and
Armenian presidents.
Euronews, the European Union’s news network, reported that the two leaders had discussed a framework accord envisioning an Armenian pullout. The report quoted a diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity following the meeting of Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Serzh Sarkisian in Munich, Germany. Euronews said the presidents had achieved singificant progress on the framework agreement but did not reach a final accord.
Under the agreement, Armenia will pull out of five of the seven districts around Upper Garabagh, but the region itself and the strategic Lachin district which links it with Armenian territory will remain under occupation.
According to the Turkish Haberler.com website, the Armenian side said during the Munich talks that it could withdraw from Kalbajar, another strategic district, by the end of 2009. Yerevan’s goal is both to soften Baku’s stance and to secure approval of the agreement on mending ties Armenia recently signed with Turkey, Azerbaijan’s ally, in the Turkish parliament.
Haberler.com said a source at the Russian Foreign Ministry has confirmed the report.
"Turkey shut its border with Armenia in 1993 immediately after the Armenian forces invaded the Kalbajar district, and the key pre-condition for reopening the border is the return of Kalbajar," the source said.
Armenia and Azerbaijan waged a war over the mountainous region of Upper Garabagh in the early 1990s. Armenia has been occupying over 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s internationally-recognized territory since then. The ceasefire accord was signed in 1994, but peace talks have been fruitless so far.
Armenia and Turkey have been at odds for decades. On October 10, two protocols -- which ultimately seek to open the Turkish-Armenian border – were signed. However, the documents require parliamentary approval, and Ankara has repeatedly pledged that the border will not open until the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict has been fairly resolved.*
Euronews, the European Union’s news network, reported that the two leaders had discussed a framework accord envisioning an Armenian pullout. The report quoted a diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity following the meeting of Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Serzh Sarkisian in Munich, Germany. Euronews said the presidents had achieved singificant progress on the framework agreement but did not reach a final accord.
Under the agreement, Armenia will pull out of five of the seven districts around Upper Garabagh, but the region itself and the strategic Lachin district which links it with Armenian territory will remain under occupation.
According to the Turkish Haberler.com website, the Armenian side said during the Munich talks that it could withdraw from Kalbajar, another strategic district, by the end of 2009. Yerevan’s goal is both to soften Baku’s stance and to secure approval of the agreement on mending ties Armenia recently signed with Turkey, Azerbaijan’s ally, in the Turkish parliament.
Haberler.com said a source at the Russian Foreign Ministry has confirmed the report.
"Turkey shut its border with Armenia in 1993 immediately after the Armenian forces invaded the Kalbajar district, and the key pre-condition for reopening the border is the return of Kalbajar," the source said.
Armenia and Azerbaijan waged a war over the mountainous region of Upper Garabagh in the early 1990s. Armenia has been occupying over 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s internationally-recognized territory since then. The ceasefire accord was signed in 1994, but peace talks have been fruitless so far.
Armenia and Turkey have been at odds for decades. On October 10, two protocols -- which ultimately seek to open the Turkish-Armenian border – were signed. However, the documents require parliamentary approval, and Ankara has repeatedly pledged that the border will not open until the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict has been fairly resolved.*
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