Even More on Karabagh Talks‏

PROGRESS SEEN IN KARABAKH TALKS - ARMENIAN PRESIDENTInterfaxJuly 21 2009RussiaProgress is visible in the talks on the settlement of theNagorno-Karabakh conflict, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said."Progress can be seen, however difficult. We are discussing thebasic principles, separated from the Madrid principles, and thenthe discussion will proceed to the other principles. And afterwardsa fundamental agreement will be worked out on this basis," Sargsyantold Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt in Yerevan on Monday."I think, everyone must understand that the status of Nagorno- Karabakhis the core issue, which must be settled on the basis of free willand have an obligatory legal foundation," the Armenian president said."When we manage to give a clear-cut definition to this question,a definition that will not lead to dual interpretations, the talkswill continue more smoothly, I think," Sargsyan said.


ANOTHER ARMENIA-AZERBAIJAN SUMMIT POSSIBLE WITHIN MONTHSInterfaxJuly 21 2009RussiaArmenia and Azerbaijan "can be expected" to hold another summit onNagorno-Karabakh after a planned "new round of preparatory work"this autumn by the Minsk Group, an Organization for Security andCooperation in Europe body mediating in the conflict, the RussianForeign Ministry spokesman said on Tuesday.Andrei Nesterenko made the announcement at a briefing.The Armenian and Azeri presidents, Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliyev,held talks on Nagorno-Karabakh in Moscow on Saturday mediated bytheir Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev."That meeting involved one more serious and in-depth discussion on thecontents of the basic principles for the settlement of conflicts thatare being developed by the mediators of the Minsk Group of the OSCE,"Nesterenko said."There was certain progress achieved on some of them and the partiesmoved closer their positions on the issues they were discussing,"he said."New subjects began to be discussed," he added.
PANIC STRIKES YEREVAN - DID SERZH SARGYSAN RESIGN?Today.AzJuly 22 2009AzerbaijanSerzh Sargsyan has resigned, Karabakh is given back, there is war... ,Azh reported.Similar rumors have spread since early morning on July 21. Theeditorial has received numerous calls asking whether the city isfull of troops who have seized the television tower and Dashnakshave rebelled.The panic stroke the city followings the reports from Kalbajar whichsaid that military men were moving to the posts. The sources of thenewspaper said a special unit of the National Security Ministry hasalso left for Kalbajar.The newspaper inquired the Defense Ministry what was happeningin Kalbajar. Spokesperson Seyran Shahsuvaryan said: "Noting ishappening. Defense inspection has left for checks."The newspaper also called Kalbajar. Member of Miasin initiative AlexKananyan said there was actual activeness.Obviously, the sensation was not accidental. It was already reportedin evening that Serzh Sargsyan has held a meeting of the NationalSecurity Council.NAGORNO-KARABAKH'S RETURN TO AZERBAIJAN WOULD
LEAD TO WAR - ARMENIAN ANALYSTInterfaxJuly 21 2009RussiaThe conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh cannot be settled as long as thegovernment of self-proclaimed Nagorno- Karabakh remains outside thetalks, said Richard Kirakosian, director of the Armenian Strategicand National Research Center."The Karabakh conflict cannot be settled in conditions of any kind ofpressure and as along as the government of Nagorno-Karabakh remainsoutside the talks," Kirakosian said at a news conference on Monday."I am convinced, that any option leading to Karabakh's return toAzerbaijan will unfailingly lead to a war, and this is clear to the co-chairmen of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe'sMinsk Group," the analyst said.Regarding the settlement of relations between Armenia and Turkey,Kirakosian said, "Turkey has not yet made up its mind and does notknow what it wants. Armenia is ready.""Turkey has underestimated Azerbaijan's reaction and overestimatedits capabilities. The Turkish government is playing roles," he said.But Kirakosian remarked that strong hopes are being pinned on thesettlement of Turkish-Armenian relations. A Bad finale in the Turkishtheater will not please Russia and the United States, he said.Armenian Foreign Minister Edvard Nalbandian said on Monday that thechance of settling Armenian-Turkish relations has not yet been lost.


SCE SEES "MADRID PRINCIPLES" AS ACCEPTABLE FOR
BOTH SIDESAzerNews WeeklyJuly 21 2009AzerbaijanThe Madrid principles for resolving the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflictover Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh, being discussed by the sides, shouldbe sufficiently acceptable for both Baku and Yerevan, OSCE SecretaryGeneral Marc Perrin de Brichambaut told a news conference in Bakuon Friday.The leaders of the countries co-chairing the OSCE Minsk Group mediatingthe peace process adopted a joint statement on the Madrid principlesat a recent G8 summit in Italy. US President Barack Obama, France`sNicolas Sarkozy and Russia`s Dmitry Medvedev called on Armenian andAzerbaijani leaders to resolve their differences and move towardsa final accord on the long-standing conflict. The three presidentsindicated that they were instructing their mediators to present toPresidents Ilham Aliyev and Serzh Sarkisian "an updated version ofa proposed peace outline brought forward in the Madrid Document ofNovember 2007."Brichambaut said it was possible to foster rapprochement in thepositions of the sides based on the Madrid principles."Naturally, these principles cannot satisfy both sides to the sameextent. But talks can be carried on regarding these principles...Theparties should take advantage of these opportunities. There ispotential to reach peace."Brichambaut said the leaders of the Minsk Group co-chairing statesare not trying to put pressure on the conflicting sides by elaboratingon the mentioned set of basic principles for the conflict settlementpresented in the Spanish capital, and their only goal is to persuadethe societies of Azerbaijan and Armenia that a peaceful solution ofthe dispute is possible.The OSCE secretary general said the peace process has been intensifyingof late, emphasizing that President Aliyev is interested in continuingnegotiations. "He hopes that outstanding challenges will be overcome,while taking into account Azerbaijan`s interests, and there will beprogress in the peace process."According to the US State Department, among the principles called forin the Madrid Document were "the return of the territories surroundingUpper Garabagh to Azerbaijani control and an interim status for UpperGarabagh providing guarantees for security and self-government." Italso embraced "a corridor linking Armenia to Upper Garabagh" as wellas a future determination of the final legal status of Upper Garabagh"through a legally binding expression of will" and the right of"internally displaced persons and refugees to return to their formerplaces of residence."Meanwhile, Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian claimed thatthe Madrid principles were merely proposals."These are just proposals, and some of them are currently underdiscussion, while others are not," he said after meeting Bako Saakian,the leader of the self-proclaimed Upper Garabagh republic, in Khankandion Thursday.Armenian media quoted him as saying, while commenting on the provisionin the Madrid document stipulating the return of Azerbaijanis oustedfrom their homes during military action in the early 1990s, that theissue of the displaced persons` return to Garabagh was not currentlybeing discussed."We can go back to discussing this issue only after a complete solutionof the problem is achieved," he said.Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said earlier, whilecommenting on the issue of Upper Garabagh`s status, that it could betabled only after Azerbaijani IDPs return home.The conflict between the two South Caucasus republics reared upin the late 1980s due to Armenia`s territorial claims. Armenia hasbeen occupying over 20% of Azerbaijan`s internationally-recognizedterritory since the early 1990s in defiance of international law.


NEW VERSION OF MADRID DOCUMENTLragir.am12:16:27 - 22/07/2009Yesterday, the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk group issued a statementwith which they inform that "they have informed the two presidentsthat they are going to have a working meeting in the end of July inthe city of Krakov of Poland, where they are going to prepare thereformed version of the document of Madrid in accordance with thedeclaration of Aquila adopted by the president of the United States,Russian and France".
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