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DEAL ON DISPUTED TERRITORY POSSIBLE, ARMENIA PRESIDENT SAYS
Radio Netherland
http://www.rnw.nl/english/bulletin/deal-disputed-territory-possible-armenia-president-says
June 22 2011
Published on 22 June 2011 - 5:01pm More about:
ArmeniaAzerbaijanconflictKarabakh
Armenia's president said Wednesday that his country's long-running
territorial dispute with Azerbaijan may be resolved at an upcoming
summit, but "Armenia-phobia" could derail the talks.
President Serzh Sarkisian is set to meet his Azerbaijani counterpart
Ilham Aliyev and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in Kazan, Russia,
starting Friday, to discuss Nagorny Karabakh, a territory Azerbaijan
has demanded back since losing it in a 1990s conflict. The Kremlin
had earlier announced the summit would start on Saturday.
Speaking at the Council of Europe on Wednesday, Sarkisian said he was
"full of optimism and strongly hoped it will be possible to find a
common denominator," at the upcoming meet.
Some 30,000 people died in the conflict when Karabakh was seized
from Azerbaijan. The territory is still controlled by ethnic Armenian
forces, 17 years after a ceasefire.
Azerbaijan insists that Karabakh must remain part of its sovereign
territory, albeit with widespread autonomy, while Armenia says it
must never return to Baku's control.
Sarkisian told the European assembly that he is willing to make
concessions to reach an agreement.
"If we go in with a constructive spirit and Azerbaijan does not come
with new demands, we could see a positive result," he explain.
But, he added, "it is difficult to say that we will have a positive
result," because there exists in Azerbaijan an "Armenia-phobia"
that has consistently undermined attempts to resolve the dispute.
France, the United States and Russia issued a statement last month's
G8 summit that labelled the status quo in Karabakh "unacceptable" and
urged the disputing factions to make preparations for "peace, not war."
Energy-rich Azerbaijan, flush with oil and gas money, has massively
increased military spending, and the International Crisis Group think
tank earlier this year warned that an arms build-up and clashes on
the front line could lead to renewed fighting.
Analysts warn that a return to conflict could threaten important
pipelines which pass close to Karabakh, taking Caspian Sea oil and
gas from Azerbaijan to Europe.
Turkey, which supports Baku over Karabakh, and Russia, which has troops
stationed in Armenia, could also be drawn in, some analysts argue.
Regular firefights continue along the Karabakh front line and
Azerbaijan has threatened to seize the region back by force if
talks fail.
Azerbaijan has said it is absolutely unthinkable for Karabakh to be
allowed to secede.
Radio Netherland
http://www.rnw.nl/english/bulletin/deal-disputed-territory-possible-armenia-president-says
June 22 2011
Published on 22 June 2011 - 5:01pm More about:
ArmeniaAzerbaijanconflictKarabakh
Armenia's president said Wednesday that his country's long-running
territorial dispute with Azerbaijan may be resolved at an upcoming
summit, but "Armenia-phobia" could derail the talks.
President Serzh Sarkisian is set to meet his Azerbaijani counterpart
Ilham Aliyev and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in Kazan, Russia,
starting Friday, to discuss Nagorny Karabakh, a territory Azerbaijan
has demanded back since losing it in a 1990s conflict. The Kremlin
had earlier announced the summit would start on Saturday.
Speaking at the Council of Europe on Wednesday, Sarkisian said he was
"full of optimism and strongly hoped it will be possible to find a
common denominator," at the upcoming meet.
Some 30,000 people died in the conflict when Karabakh was seized
from Azerbaijan. The territory is still controlled by ethnic Armenian
forces, 17 years after a ceasefire.
Azerbaijan insists that Karabakh must remain part of its sovereign
territory, albeit with widespread autonomy, while Armenia says it
must never return to Baku's control.
Sarkisian told the European assembly that he is willing to make
concessions to reach an agreement.
"If we go in with a constructive spirit and Azerbaijan does not come
with new demands, we could see a positive result," he explain.
But, he added, "it is difficult to say that we will have a positive
result," because there exists in Azerbaijan an "Armenia-phobia"
that has consistently undermined attempts to resolve the dispute.
France, the United States and Russia issued a statement last month's
G8 summit that labelled the status quo in Karabakh "unacceptable" and
urged the disputing factions to make preparations for "peace, not war."
Energy-rich Azerbaijan, flush with oil and gas money, has massively
increased military spending, and the International Crisis Group think
tank earlier this year warned that an arms build-up and clashes on
the front line could lead to renewed fighting.
Analysts warn that a return to conflict could threaten important
pipelines which pass close to Karabakh, taking Caspian Sea oil and
gas from Azerbaijan to Europe.
Turkey, which supports Baku over Karabakh, and Russia, which has troops
stationed in Armenia, could also be drawn in, some analysts argue.
Regular firefights continue along the Karabakh front line and
Azerbaijan has threatened to seize the region back by force if
talks fail.
Azerbaijan has said it is absolutely unthinkable for Karabakh to be
allowed to secede.