Yerevan stepping back from Moscow commitments
Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian has said that
Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh, an Azeri region under Armenian
occupation, should be brought into talks on settling the
Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict.
Sarkisian added, during an interview with a local public TV channel, that any agreement to end a nearly two-decade-long dispute could be reached only between Azerbaijan and the leader of the self-proclaimed Upper Garabagh republic. He also said that a solution to the conflict hinges on the recognition of the separatist entity as an independent state.
The Azerbaijani government, however, has rebuffed the statement, saying it blatantly contradicts the declaration recently signed by the Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian presidents. The Foreign Ministry spokesman, Khazar Ibrahim, noted that the document confirms that Baku and Yerevan are the only sides in peace talks. Unlike Armenia, Azerbaijan honors the conditions laid out in all documents it has signed, including the Moscow declaration, he said.
Ibrahim reiterated Baku`s stance, saying granting any status to Upper Garabagh was possible strictly within Azerbaijan`s territorial integrity.
In an effort to quicken the peace process, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev offered to hold a meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders, with Russia`s participation, following talks with Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian in Yerevan on October 21. The Moscow-brokered trilateral talks took place on November 2 and concluded with the signing of the declaration. The paper urges further OSCE-mediated dialog between the sides and joint efforts in bolstering stability in the South Caucasus through a political settlement of the conflict based upon principles of international law.
Analysts say tension and discord within Armenia are prompting President Sarkisian to make such statements. At a time when the world community, including the Azerbaijani public, has praised the Moscow declaration as a step forward in reaching a solution to the Garabagh problem, the attitude toward this document in Armenia is rather ambiguous. Many there believe it favors Azerbaijan and that Russia has "sacrificed" Armenia for the sake of its own interests. For this reason the Armenian leader, from time to time, brings up the Garabagh status issue in a bid to allay growing discontent at home. Sarkisian`s recent visit to Upper Garabagh, as well as his seeking to discuss peace talks with the leaders of the country`s political parties, apparently is a bid to ease rumblings within his country.
Sarkisian added, during an interview with a local public TV channel, that any agreement to end a nearly two-decade-long dispute could be reached only between Azerbaijan and the leader of the self-proclaimed Upper Garabagh republic. He also said that a solution to the conflict hinges on the recognition of the separatist entity as an independent state.
The Azerbaijani government, however, has rebuffed the statement, saying it blatantly contradicts the declaration recently signed by the Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian presidents. The Foreign Ministry spokesman, Khazar Ibrahim, noted that the document confirms that Baku and Yerevan are the only sides in peace talks. Unlike Armenia, Azerbaijan honors the conditions laid out in all documents it has signed, including the Moscow declaration, he said.
Ibrahim reiterated Baku`s stance, saying granting any status to Upper Garabagh was possible strictly within Azerbaijan`s territorial integrity.
In an effort to quicken the peace process, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev offered to hold a meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders, with Russia`s participation, following talks with Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian in Yerevan on October 21. The Moscow-brokered trilateral talks took place on November 2 and concluded with the signing of the declaration. The paper urges further OSCE-mediated dialog between the sides and joint efforts in bolstering stability in the South Caucasus through a political settlement of the conflict based upon principles of international law.
Analysts say tension and discord within Armenia are prompting President Sarkisian to make such statements. At a time when the world community, including the Azerbaijani public, has praised the Moscow declaration as a step forward in reaching a solution to the Garabagh problem, the attitude toward this document in Armenia is rather ambiguous. Many there believe it favors Azerbaijan and that Russia has "sacrificed" Armenia for the sake of its own interests. For this reason the Armenian leader, from time to time, brings up the Garabagh status issue in a bid to allay growing discontent at home. Sarkisian`s recent visit to Upper Garabagh, as well as his seeking to discuss peace talks with the leaders of the country`s political parties, apparently is a bid to ease rumblings within his country.
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