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ARMENIA SEES NO PACT ON REBEL AREA BEFORE VOTE
Javno.hr
Oct 31 2007
Croatia
Nagorno-Karabakh`s 140,000 inhabitants have voted twice in unrecognised
referendums for independence.
Armenian President Robert Kocharyan played down suggestions on
Wednesday from a U.S. envoy that a preliminary deal with Azerbaijan
over a disputed region would be possible before March.
The predominantly Armenian populated Enclave of Nargorno-Karabakh
broke away from Azerbaijan in the late 1980s, triggering a 1992-94
war between Armenian-back separatists and the Azeri army that killed
more than 35,000 people.
On Friday U.S. deputy assistant secretary for European and Eurasian
affairs, Matthew Bryza, said he thought a framework agreement between
the two sides was possible before Armenia's presidential election,
expected next February or March.
But Kocharyan said that was unlikely.
"The negotiation process is a definitive process but I am not so
much of an optimist to assume that before the presidential election
we will reach a concrete result," he told Armenian radio.
Borders between Azerbaijan and Armenia are still closed and official
ties have been severed, although the countries' two leaders meet from
time-to-time on foreign soil.
Since 1994 a separatist army, backed by Armenian volunteers, has
controlled Nagorno-Karabakh, whose 140,000 inhabitants have voted
twice in unrecognised referendums for independence.
Kocharyan said comments by the Azeri military were still too aggressive
for any real progress to be made at the moment.
Javno.hr
Oct 31 2007
Croatia
Nagorno-Karabakh`s 140,000 inhabitants have voted twice in unrecognised
referendums for independence.
Armenian President Robert Kocharyan played down suggestions on
Wednesday from a U.S. envoy that a preliminary deal with Azerbaijan
over a disputed region would be possible before March.
The predominantly Armenian populated Enclave of Nargorno-Karabakh
broke away from Azerbaijan in the late 1980s, triggering a 1992-94
war between Armenian-back separatists and the Azeri army that killed
more than 35,000 people.
On Friday U.S. deputy assistant secretary for European and Eurasian
affairs, Matthew Bryza, said he thought a framework agreement between
the two sides was possible before Armenia's presidential election,
expected next February or March.
But Kocharyan said that was unlikely.
"The negotiation process is a definitive process but I am not so
much of an optimist to assume that before the presidential election
we will reach a concrete result," he told Armenian radio.
Borders between Azerbaijan and Armenia are still closed and official
ties have been severed, although the countries' two leaders meet from
time-to-time on foreign soil.
Since 1994 a separatist army, backed by Armenian volunteers, has
controlled Nagorno-Karabakh, whose 140,000 inhabitants have voted
twice in unrecognised referendums for independence.
Kocharyan said comments by the Azeri military were still too aggressive
for any real progress to be made at the moment.