Azeri, Armenian leaders to hold Russia-brokered talks Jan. 25
The Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian presidents are scheduled to
hold a tripartite meeting January 25 in the Russian town of Sochi
to discuss settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper (Nagorno)
Garabagh conflict, according to the Armenian and Russian
presidents’ press-services.
This will be the fourth trilateral meeting held in Russia in the past year and three months. The first such meeting held in Moscow in November 2008 concluded with the signing of a declaration. The declaration, which was the first document signed by Azerbaijan and Armenia in the past 16 years, called for settling the Garabagh conflict in line with international law and respective resolutions previously approved. The further meetings did not result in specific agreements.
Pavel Salin of Russia’s Political Juncture Center believes there is little hope that the Sochi negotiations will foster a positive shift in Garabagh settlement. He opined that so long as Russia is the only side actively mediating the peace process, no progress should be expected.
The analyst said further that Turkey’s intensifying its mediating efforts has played a role in arranging the next round of peace talks. Ankara has lately displayed ambitions in this respect and aims at the role of a regional powerhouse.
Salin said this activeness meets Moscow’s interests. "In my view, if not only Russia but also Turkey acts as a sponsor of a conflict resolution, there could be some turning point."
Alexander Pikayev, an expert of the Moscow-based Institute of World Economy and International Relations, does not anticipate substantial advances in Garabagh settlement either. According to him, Russia is not opposed to the planned opening of the Turkey-Armenia border, but it is unwilling to make sacrifices for this.
"They know well in Russia that Armenia is not ready to make huge concessions on the Garabagh issue for this sake," Pikayev claimed.
Alexei Vlasov, another Russian pundit, says reaching an agreement on five occupied Azerbaijani districts around Upper Garabagh at the Sochi meeting is possible. "The intensifying diplomatic efforts suggest that an actual decision is likely to be passed in this regard."
Azerbaijan and Armenia have been locked in conflict for nearly two decades. Peace talks kicked off after a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a cease-fire in 1994, but have brought little tangible result so far. Armenia continues to occupy Upper Garabagh and seven other Azerbaijani districts in defiance of international law. Russia co-chairs the mediating OSCE Minsk Group, along with the U.S. and France.*
This will be the fourth trilateral meeting held in Russia in the past year and three months. The first such meeting held in Moscow in November 2008 concluded with the signing of a declaration. The declaration, which was the first document signed by Azerbaijan and Armenia in the past 16 years, called for settling the Garabagh conflict in line with international law and respective resolutions previously approved. The further meetings did not result in specific agreements.
Pavel Salin of Russia’s Political Juncture Center believes there is little hope that the Sochi negotiations will foster a positive shift in Garabagh settlement. He opined that so long as Russia is the only side actively mediating the peace process, no progress should be expected.
The analyst said further that Turkey’s intensifying its mediating efforts has played a role in arranging the next round of peace talks. Ankara has lately displayed ambitions in this respect and aims at the role of a regional powerhouse.
Salin said this activeness meets Moscow’s interests. "In my view, if not only Russia but also Turkey acts as a sponsor of a conflict resolution, there could be some turning point."
Alexander Pikayev, an expert of the Moscow-based Institute of World Economy and International Relations, does not anticipate substantial advances in Garabagh settlement either. According to him, Russia is not opposed to the planned opening of the Turkey-Armenia border, but it is unwilling to make sacrifices for this.
"They know well in Russia that Armenia is not ready to make huge concessions on the Garabagh issue for this sake," Pikayev claimed.
Alexei Vlasov, another Russian pundit, says reaching an agreement on five occupied Azerbaijani districts around Upper Garabagh at the Sochi meeting is possible. "The intensifying diplomatic efforts suggest that an actual decision is likely to be passed in this regard."
Azerbaijan and Armenia have been locked in conflict for nearly two decades. Peace talks kicked off after a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a cease-fire in 1994, but have brought little tangible result so far. Armenia continues to occupy Upper Garabagh and seven other Azerbaijani districts in defiance of international law. Russia co-chairs the mediating OSCE Minsk Group, along with the U.S. and France.*
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