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BAKU: Iranian Leader to Unveil New Karabakh Proposals - Azeri Paper

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  • BAKU: Iranian Leader to Unveil New Karabakh Proposals - Azeri Paper

    IRANIAN LEADER TO UNVEIL NEW KARABAKH PROPOSALS - AZERI PAPER

    Ayna, Baku
    4 Aug 04

    During the official visit to Azerbaijan by Iranian President Mohammad
    Khatami, the Iranian government is expected to present Azerbaijani
    President Ilham Aliyev with its new proposal on a solution to the
    Nagornyy Karabakh conflict.

    According to information from diplomatic sources, Iran has drafted a
    new plan and wants the talks to be held between Ankara, Tehran, Baku
    and Yerevan. Details of the plan are kept secret.

    At present, Iran wants to use the uncertainty surrounding the
    settlement to the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict to get what it has long
    been waiting for. Iran has never come to terms with being "sidelined"
    from the solution to the conflict and keeps reminding us of that.

    During the recent visit to Iran by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
    Erdogan, the sides discussed joint mediation in regional conflicts,
    Iranian sources have reported. Therefore, it is noteworthy that Iran
    has intensified its efforts with regard to the Nagornyy Karabakh
    conflict. During a meeting with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar
    Mammadyarov, his Iranian counterpart Kamal Kharrazi said that Iran is
    ready to help settle the Karabakh conflict. Kharrazi said that a
    strong Azerbaijan is of special importance to Iran in this sensitive
    region.

    In the run-up to his visit to Azerbaijan, Khatami has made a new
    statement. He said that Iran supports Azerbaijan's territorial
    integrity and deems it essential that the occupied territories be
    liberated peacefully. "Iran will do its best to resolve the conflict,"
    he said.

    (Passage omitted: Visit to Iran by Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan
    Oskanyan)

    Political observers are dubious about Iran's package of proposals on
    the Karabakh conflict.

    Iran's efforts will be in vain, political analyst Zardust Alizada told
    Ayna newspaper in an interview. Iran has limited ability to resolve
    the conflict. "Iran's clout in the region is not that strong. The
    Iranian government's mediatory efforts once ended in a
    disaster. During the 1992 talks in Tehran, the Armenians, in tandem
    with the Russians, invaded Susa. In doing so, Russia let Iran know
    that it should not be involved in this issue."

    At present, the OSCE is mediating the talks, and Iran is not an OSCE
    member. On the other hand, the military and economic potential of
    Armenia and Azerbaijan is not linked with Iran, Alizada said.

    Talking about the visit's influence on mutual relations, Alizada
    predicted that during the expected meeting, the two president will
    resolve some issues which have yet to be agreed on.

    The ex-foreign minister of Azerbaijan, Tofiq Zulfuqarov, told Ayna
    that several years ago Iran asked the OSCE Minsk Group to include it
    in the talks. "The Minsk Group then suggested that Iran be informed
    about the developments in the talks process. To this end, Iran
    appointed a special envoy who acts together with the Minsk Group."
    These contacts still remain, but there has been no specific result so
    far, Zulfuqarov said.
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