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Armenia (1) -- News -- 2010
Edward Nalbandian: Armenia and NKR are not going to discuss anything with Turkey
09.06.2010
Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said that changes in the Azerbaijani military doctrine contradict the country’s constitution,
which reads that it is necessary to refrain from any hostilities.
If military bases are stationed in Azerbaijan, Armenia will express its stance, Nalbandian said during a governmental hour in the Armenian National Assembly.
“However, bases are an internal matter of Azerbaijan, and we do not interfere in its affairs. But Armenia raises the issue of bellicose statements
of Baku during all international meetings,” the Foreign Minister said.
He also reminded that two years ago Armenia has adopted the Madrid Principles as a basis for the negotiation process on the Karabakh conflict settlement.
“Meanwhile, Azerbaijan states that Armenia does not accept these principles. The problem of the NKR status, which should be solved through the NKR people’s
declaration of will, underlies the Madrid Principles. And if Azerbaijan states that it is ready to provide Karabakh
“with high autonomy within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan”, it wants to predetermine the negotiation process.
Besides, Azerbaijan rejects any initiative on strengthening peace, refraining for a long from snipers’ withdrawal from firing line,”
said Nalbandian, adding that Azerbaijan is trying to doom to failure the negotiations through its warlike statements.
Nalbandian also noted that Azerbaijan and Turkey may discuss the Karabakh conflict ad lib.
“Armenia and NKR are not going to discuss anything with Turkey,” he said.
In Nalbandian’s opinion, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s visit to Istanbul does not raise concerns with respect to the Armenian-Russian relations.
As for the recent incident near Gaza, the Armenian Foreign Minister noted that Armenia expresses its condolences to relatives of the killed people,
as Armenia is against application of force and blockade. “From the other side, some countries speak against application of force and blockade,
but continue blocking and creating threats for neighbors for many years,” said Nalbandian.
Armenia (1) -- Analyses -- 2010
More about Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
09.06.2010
On December 10, 1991 in a referendum boycotted by local Azerbaijanis, Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh approved the creation of an independent state.
A Soviet proposal for enhanced autonomy for Nagorno-Karabakh within Azerbaijan satisfied neither side, and a full-scale war subsequently erupted between
Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh, the latter receiving support from Armenia.
The struggle over Nagorno-Karabakh escalated after both Armenia and Azerbaijan attained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
In the post-Soviet power vacuum, military action between Azerbaijan and Armenia was heavily influenced by the Russian military.
Furthermore, both the Armenian and Azerbajani military employed a large number of mercenaries from Ukraine and Russia.
As many as one thousand Afghan mujahideen participated in the fighting on Azerbaijan's side.
There were also fighters from Chechnya fighting on the side of Azerbaijan.
The final borders of the conflict after the 1994 ceasefire was signed. Armenian forces of Nagorno-Karabakh currently control almost 9% of Azerbaijan's
territory outside the former Nagorno Karabakh Autonomous Oblast.And Azerbaijani forces control Shahumian and the eastern parts of Martakert and Martuni.
By the end of 1993, the conflict had caused thousands of casualties and created hundreds of thousands of refugees on both sides.
By May 1994, the Armenians were in control of 14% of the territory of Azerbaijan.
At that stage, the Azerbaijani government for the first time during the conflict recognised Nagorno-Karabakh as a third party in the war,
and started direct negotiations with the Karabakh authorities. As a result, a cease fire was reached on May 12, 1994 through Russian negotiation.
Despite the ceasefire, fatalities due to armed conflicts between Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers continued.
As of August, 2008, the United States, France, and Russia (the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group) are mediating efforts to negotiate a full settlement
of the conflict, proposing a "a referendum or a plebiscite, at a time to be determined later," to determine the final status of the area,
return of some territories under Karabakh's control, and security guarantees. Ilham Aliyev and Serzh Sarkisian traveled to Moscow
for talks with Dmitry Medvedev on 2 November 2008. The talks ended in the three Presidents signing a declaration confirming their
commitment to continue talks. The two presidents have met again since then, most recently in Saint Petersburg.
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