Armenian President Serge Sarkisian has appealed to Azerbaijan to sign a non-aggression pact which he hopes would prepare the ground for continued talks over the future of the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
In an interview with Euronews, Sarkisian said the non-use of force is an underlying principle of international law and holds the key to a lasting settlement of the long-running territorial dispute.
In an earlier conciliatory move towards Baku, the Armenian leader said he was ready to accept the modified Madrid Principles, a framework for solving the Karabakh conflict backed by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, or OSCE.
Azerbaijan’s President İlham Aliyev responded by saying the negotiations were already in their final stage but insisted on the return of all Karabakh territories and the withdrawal of all Armenian forces stationed in the area.
Self-determination
Nagorno-Karabakh is an enclave in Azerbaijan that has been occupied by Armenian forces since the end of a six-year conflict that left roughly 30,000 dead and displaced 1 million before a truce was signed in 1994.
The territory’s unilaterally-declared independence has not been recognized by the international community.
The presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan have been negotiating on the issue under the OSCE, but little progress has been made in the peace talks
Sarkisian also reiterated his country's long-standing argument that Nagorno-Karabakh’s people should have the right to self-determination, saying that Karabakh was artificially attached to Azerbaijan during Soviet times and that Armenia could not cede the territory so easily.
Alexei Malashenko, head of the Voice of Russia’s English service and an expert from the Carnegie Center said he does not believe the conflict will be settled any time soon.
“An economically successful Azerbaijan sees itself as a South Caucasus superpower, which can use its enormous material, human and military potential to achieve its goals – hence its consistent refusal to give any ground on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue," he said.
He also said, however, that a new war was unlikely because none of Russia, Europe or Turkey would permit such a conflict to occur.
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
