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Azeri, Armenian leaders give the go-ahead to Prague format for Karabakh talks
ANS TV, Baku
16 May 05
Following a meeting in Warsaw between the presidents of Azerbaijan
and Armenia, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said that
although their talks "did not make a significant breakthrough" they
had agreed for the respective foreign ministers to continue the talks
in the presence of OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs. In a news conference
after the talks Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev noted that his
meeting with the Armenian president "lasted about three hours". The
following is the text of the report by Azerbaijani TV station ANS on
16 May. The subheadings have been inserted editorially:
[Presenter] The presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia, Ilham Aliyev and
Robert Kocharyan, discussed in Warsaw the tension on the front-line,
the prospects for resolving the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict and the
regional situation. Aliyev also held a meeting with Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The meeting between Ilham Aliyev and Robert Kocharyan was also
attended by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen as well as Russian and
French Foreign Ministers Sergey Lavrov and Michel Barnier.
No significant breakthrough
The meeting was first held in an expanded format [with all delegates
present] and then the president had two-hour tete-a-tete talks.
The talks started at about 2300 [1800 gmt] Baku time and ended at 0100
[2100 gmt]. The presidents did not make statements for the press.
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov told ANS TV that the
talks did not produce a significant breakthrough. The presidents
gave the go-ahead to the Prague format of the talks [talks in Prague
between Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers in the presence
of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs].
News conference
After a meeting with Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Azerbaijani president
and Turkish prime minister answered reporters' questions.
[Aliyev] Today I had a meeting with the esteemed [Turkish] prime
minister. We meet at almost every international forum. We have in-depth
debates on bilateral issues. Regional processes and the maintenance
of regional security were the focus of our meeting. At the same time,
today I had a meeting with the Armenian president.
The meeting lasted about three hours. I filled the esteemed prime
minister in on the issues discussed at the meeting. Our relations
are developing well. Turkey and Azerbaijan are strengthening their
positions in the region. We shall soon inaugurate the major energy
project - the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline. This project unites
us and will be conducive to a new stage in our relations. I hope that
the two friendly and fraternal states will further support each other
and our peoples will be together for ever. Thank you.
[Erdogan] I thank the esteemed president. We had a chance to assess
the state of relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan before the
start of the third summit of the Council of Europe. In the meantime,
I thank the president for briefing me on the meeting with the Armenian
president. We, as two fraternal and friendly countries, always discuss
such issues and never remain indifferent to them. We remain keenly
interested in resolving the current problem and steps being taken
for the resolution of the conflict. We want this problem be resolved
as soon as possible in order for peace be restored in our region. I
thank you and wish fruitful work to the third summit of the Council
of Europe.
[Aliyev] You know that our positions are clear. This issue has been
discussed for many years and the sides have their own positions and we
reviewed them again today. You know that our foreign ministers often
meet and discuss different issues. We shall not issue a statement for
the press today as it is early yet. I hope that the negotiations will
produce results and the issues between us will be resolved.
ANS TV, Baku
16 May 05
Following a meeting in Warsaw between the presidents of Azerbaijan
and Armenia, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said that
although their talks "did not make a significant breakthrough" they
had agreed for the respective foreign ministers to continue the talks
in the presence of OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs. In a news conference
after the talks Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev noted that his
meeting with the Armenian president "lasted about three hours". The
following is the text of the report by Azerbaijani TV station ANS on
16 May. The subheadings have been inserted editorially:
[Presenter] The presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia, Ilham Aliyev and
Robert Kocharyan, discussed in Warsaw the tension on the front-line,
the prospects for resolving the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict and the
regional situation. Aliyev also held a meeting with Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The meeting between Ilham Aliyev and Robert Kocharyan was also
attended by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen as well as Russian and
French Foreign Ministers Sergey Lavrov and Michel Barnier.
No significant breakthrough
The meeting was first held in an expanded format [with all delegates
present] and then the president had two-hour tete-a-tete talks.
The talks started at about 2300 [1800 gmt] Baku time and ended at 0100
[2100 gmt]. The presidents did not make statements for the press.
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov told ANS TV that the
talks did not produce a significant breakthrough. The presidents
gave the go-ahead to the Prague format of the talks [talks in Prague
between Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers in the presence
of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs].
News conference
After a meeting with Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Azerbaijani president
and Turkish prime minister answered reporters' questions.
[Aliyev] Today I had a meeting with the esteemed [Turkish] prime
minister. We meet at almost every international forum. We have in-depth
debates on bilateral issues. Regional processes and the maintenance
of regional security were the focus of our meeting. At the same time,
today I had a meeting with the Armenian president.
The meeting lasted about three hours. I filled the esteemed prime
minister in on the issues discussed at the meeting. Our relations
are developing well. Turkey and Azerbaijan are strengthening their
positions in the region. We shall soon inaugurate the major energy
project - the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline. This project unites
us and will be conducive to a new stage in our relations. I hope that
the two friendly and fraternal states will further support each other
and our peoples will be together for ever. Thank you.
[Erdogan] I thank the esteemed president. We had a chance to assess
the state of relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan before the
start of the third summit of the Council of Europe. In the meantime,
I thank the president for briefing me on the meeting with the Armenian
president. We, as two fraternal and friendly countries, always discuss
such issues and never remain indifferent to them. We remain keenly
interested in resolving the current problem and steps being taken
for the resolution of the conflict. We want this problem be resolved
as soon as possible in order for peace be restored in our region. I
thank you and wish fruitful work to the third summit of the Council
of Europe.
[Aliyev] You know that our positions are clear. This issue has been
discussed for many years and the sides have their own positions and we
reviewed them again today. You know that our foreign ministers often
meet and discuss different issues. We shall not issue a statement for
the press today as it is early yet. I hope that the negotiations will
produce results and the issues between us will be resolved.