Talks on Turkey`s regional peace plan fruitless
Talks among senior officials of five regional
countries on Turkey`s initiative aiming to promote peace held in
Istanbul on Monday turned out fruitless, the Azerbaijani chief
consul in the Turkish city has said.
"The endeavors of each participating country to prove its being right in addressing the Caucasus conflicts blocked the adoption of a final decision," Sayyad Aran told the Baku-based ANS TV channel.
The closed-door meeting of deputy foreign ministers and Foreign Ministry department heads of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Russia and Turkey was presided by the Turkish Foreign Ministry`s authorized representative on the Caucasus region and former ambassador in Baku, Ahmed Unal Cevikoz.
Following a brief Russia-Georgia war in August 2008, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered to establish the Caucasus Peace and Stability Platform, also called the Caucasus union, to bring the mentioned five countries together around the same table.
Aran noted that a need has arisen for holding another meeting of the five countries` officials. Its timing and venue are to be determined by the taskforces of the participating states.
"A document to that end is in the interest of regional states. There are outstanding conflicts between Turkey and Armenia, Azerbaijan and Armenia, and Russia and Georgia. Each country underscored the importance of ending these conflicts. Every state has its own view regarding these tensions and each side attempted to prove that it is right, while stating both proposals and discontent pertaining to that document. However, no decision or declaration was passed in conclusion. Participants merely indicated that no problems stand in the way of further expanding this project and holding new discussions."
Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov, who represented Azerbaijan at the event, said Baku believed realizing the platform on cooperation was not possible so long as conflicts flaring in the turbulent region lingered on.
"This initiative of Turkey is very beneficial for the region, but talking about regional cooperation is inappropriate until existing conflicts are resolved," Azimov said.
"The endeavors of each participating country to prove its being right in addressing the Caucasus conflicts blocked the adoption of a final decision," Sayyad Aran told the Baku-based ANS TV channel.
The closed-door meeting of deputy foreign ministers and Foreign Ministry department heads of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Russia and Turkey was presided by the Turkish Foreign Ministry`s authorized representative on the Caucasus region and former ambassador in Baku, Ahmed Unal Cevikoz.
Following a brief Russia-Georgia war in August 2008, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered to establish the Caucasus Peace and Stability Platform, also called the Caucasus union, to bring the mentioned five countries together around the same table.
Aran noted that a need has arisen for holding another meeting of the five countries` officials. Its timing and venue are to be determined by the taskforces of the participating states.
"A document to that end is in the interest of regional states. There are outstanding conflicts between Turkey and Armenia, Azerbaijan and Armenia, and Russia and Georgia. Each country underscored the importance of ending these conflicts. Every state has its own view regarding these tensions and each side attempted to prove that it is right, while stating both proposals and discontent pertaining to that document. However, no decision or declaration was passed in conclusion. Participants merely indicated that no problems stand in the way of further expanding this project and holding new discussions."
Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov, who represented Azerbaijan at the event, said Baku believed realizing the platform on cooperation was not possible so long as conflicts flaring in the turbulent region lingered on.
"This initiative of Turkey is very beneficial for the region, but talking about regional cooperation is inappropriate until existing conflicts are resolved," Azimov said.
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