Azeri leader awaiting Armenian response to peace outline
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said Monday that if Armenia
responds positively to the updated outline for settling the Upper
(Nagorno) Garabagh conflict and a withdrawal of its troops from the
occupied Azerbaijani territories begins, Azerbaijan will reopen its
border and communications with the neighboring South Caucasus
republic.
"Only after this could comprehensive peace emerge and security measures pursued in the region," President Aliyev told a news briefing after talks with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Baku.
The mediating OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs representing the United States, Russia and France initially proposed a peace outline on settling the conflict in the Spanish capital in November 2007. In Athens in November 2009, the updated version of the Madrid Document was submitted to the sides. Azerbaijan stated that it accepts the renewed Madrid principles with some exceptions, while the Armenian stance remains unclear.
Aliyev reminded that Baku had accepted the updated peace outline with minor exceptions and is expecting the same approach from Yerevan.
"Though six months have passed since the proposals were made, there has been no positive response from Armenia. The way we see it is that the Armenian side is simply trying to drag out time, not to take substantial steps toward a solution of the issue, so that the negotiations turn into an everlasting process."
Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a cease-fire in 1994, but Armenia continues to occupy Upper Garabagh and seven other Azerbaijani districts in defiance of international law. Peace talks have not yet resulted in resolving the conflict.
The president said, further, that during all crucial points in Garabagh settlement Yerevan has taken steps to derail the peace process.
"If Armenia issues a positive response to the proposals made by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, the sides will draw closer to a solution, but if doesn’t, the negotiating process will be disrupted," Aliyev said.
Prime Minister Erdogan, for his part, said a settlement to the long-standing Garabagh dispute was pivotal for Turkey, reiterating Ankara’s pledge that normalizing Turkey’s relations with Armenia was impossible until the conflict has been resolved.
"We will continue treating the issue sensitively, because we cannot remain indifferent to this problem faced by Azerbaijan. And we will always closely follow this process," Erdogan said.*
"Only after this could comprehensive peace emerge and security measures pursued in the region," President Aliyev told a news briefing after talks with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Baku.
The mediating OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs representing the United States, Russia and France initially proposed a peace outline on settling the conflict in the Spanish capital in November 2007. In Athens in November 2009, the updated version of the Madrid Document was submitted to the sides. Azerbaijan stated that it accepts the renewed Madrid principles with some exceptions, while the Armenian stance remains unclear.
Aliyev reminded that Baku had accepted the updated peace outline with minor exceptions and is expecting the same approach from Yerevan.
"Though six months have passed since the proposals were made, there has been no positive response from Armenia. The way we see it is that the Armenian side is simply trying to drag out time, not to take substantial steps toward a solution of the issue, so that the negotiations turn into an everlasting process."
Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a cease-fire in 1994, but Armenia continues to occupy Upper Garabagh and seven other Azerbaijani districts in defiance of international law. Peace talks have not yet resulted in resolving the conflict.
The president said, further, that during all crucial points in Garabagh settlement Yerevan has taken steps to derail the peace process.
"If Armenia issues a positive response to the proposals made by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, the sides will draw closer to a solution, but if doesn’t, the negotiating process will be disrupted," Aliyev said.
Prime Minister Erdogan, for his part, said a settlement to the long-standing Garabagh dispute was pivotal for Turkey, reiterating Ankara’s pledge that normalizing Turkey’s relations with Armenia was impossible until the conflict has been resolved.
"We will continue treating the issue sensitively, because we cannot remain indifferent to this problem faced by Azerbaijan. And we will always closely follow this process," Erdogan said.*
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