YEREVAN (RFE/RL)–Armenia views the latest round of Karabakh talks with Azerbaijan as “useful and important,” according to its foreign minister Edward Nalbandian.
Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian and his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev reaffirmed their commitment to continue the search for a settlement to the Karabakh conflictthrough negotiations after a meeting in Russia’s southern city of Astrakhan on October 27 hosted by Russian leader Dmitry Medvedev.
Sarkisian and Aliyev also agreed on an exchange of prisoners of war as well as the bodies of servicemen and civilians killed in recent clashes as the first step in a series of confidence-building measures.
In their joint declaration published following the trilateral meeting the leaders of the two rival South Caucasus nations also stated their readiness to stick to this humanitarian approach also in the future.
“The presidents also instructed their foreign ministers to continue negotiations and try to find an agreement around the basic principles until the summit of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) due to be held in [Kazakhstan’s capital] Astana in early December,” Nalbandian said in a statement disseminated by the ministry’s press service.
At a press conference in Yerevan on Thursday, spokesman for President Sarkisian’s ruling Republican Party of Armenia Eduard Sharmazanov said the role of the trilateral meeting in Astrakhan should not be “overestimated” and added that its usefulness will be measured by whether Azerbaijan honors its pledges or not.
Sharmazanov did not rule out, however, that the sides could come to a certain agreement before the OSCE summit in Astana. But he stressed that such a thing could happen only “if Azerbaijan shows a truly constructive position.”
After the talks in Astrakhan, Medvedev expressed a hope that Armenia and Azerbaijan could move closer to resolving their differences in the current negotiations.
“We have come a certain way, which gives grounds to hope that if the sides work well over the next month … then by the time of the OSCE summit in Kazakhstan on December 1-2 we could reach an agreed variant of common regulation principles,” the Russian leader said.
Russia co-heads the OSCE Minsk Group together with the United States and France. In the past two years, the Russian president has met the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan several times.
The first such meeting in November 2008 resulted in a declaration in which Armenia and Azerbaijan stated their commitment to seek a negotiated peace to end the dispute.
Since then the sides have repeatedly accused each other of trying to scuttle the peace process.
The Republican Party spokesman pointed to two difficulties in the process that he said need to be overcome before an agreement on such principles could become possible.
“Azerbaijan must pursue a constructive policy and secondly the Karabakh side must become a party [to negotiations] here,” Sharmazanov said. “We cannot achieve any progress without considering the opinion of the Karabakh side.”
I’m hearing a lot of rumors that Pres. Sargsyan attended the inauguration of Haidar Aliyev’s memorial. Does anyone know if he did attend the inauguration or not?
Christo are you azeri?
No I’m 100% ARMENIAN. The reason I posted my post, is because, I hear a lot of rumors from Levonakan’s here in LA. I was told that in Jamanak, October 26, 2010 issue there was a story in regards to Pres. Sargsyan, honoring the memorial of that thug! I just want to know if anyone who is less biased had heard that story.
Hello From Prag
We have no right to ignore the reality.. I received a mail from a friend and did some google re. in www!
LEASON NR 1: TRUST YOURSELT AND ARMENIAN PEAPLE ANG GET TO KNOW YOUR BARBARIC AND FASCIST EMENY! !
LEASON NR 2:
So called “modern” Turkey is in reality the same criminal Turkey of 1915!!! One has just to lesson carefully to Islamic fascist Erdoagn and Gül and Co!!
LEASON NR 3:
Criminal Azerbaijan is buying corrupt (Ex) and traditionally anti Armenia politician / above all form countries like Germany and Austrian and British – home to failed and corrupt anti Armenian forces /politicians – Baku has trended Germany in reality the home land of anti Armenian fascism , by employing the former anti Armenian German minister of state like Linder ?)and former speaker of German government !!!!
Armenians did secure the life of criminal Taalt Pasha (what happened next ? ——> what did German basted Taalat Pasha to Armenian people ????)
Armenian did save the life of criminal Attatürk and give the Mustafa Kemal the nickname “Attatürk” (what is or was the end result????) What happened to Armenian population living in Kars and Ardana.. ???
Armenia (above all the Levons´s regime) did help Heydar Aliyev to gain the control over so called Azerbaijani Republic – in a time as Azerbaijani Republic was on the way to vanish! (What is the result?)?? What did the boss of former Soviet Azerbaijani Mafia, Heydar Aliyev, after he was sure of his power?? He has started ab Nazi like hate campaign against the Armenia people and more!!!!!!!
Armenian and Armenians has/have No , NOOOO reason to extend the life of criminal regime of Ilham Aliyev!! lhamAliyey can sleep well, as soon as he get the massage that at least one Armenian is being killed !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Aliyev looks alittle creepy from that angle