The unsettled conflicts in the Caucasus pose a threat to regional security, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said today.
He was addressing a joint news conference with his Georgian counterpart, Grigol Vashadze, in Tbilisi.
During their meeting before the press conference the two ministers discussed Nagorno-Karabakh, Abkhazia and Tskhinvali.
"We considered issues of concern for both parties. We spoke in detail about the unsettled conflicts in the Caucasus, Nagorno-Karabakh, the way these conflicts are associated with regional security. Vashazade briefed on Abkhazia and South Ossetia," Mammadyarov said.
Karabakh
Answering a question from a Trend news agency correspondent, the Azerbaijani foreign minister said that Baku was still waiting for Yerevan's response to the Madrid proposals for the resolution of the Karabakh conflict.
"We are talking about the plan which was coordinated at the meeting of the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia with the mediation of the United States, France and Russia in 2007," the minister said.
The minister said the plan had been presented to Azerbaijan which had prepared its response in December last year.
"However, the Armenian side has not submitted a response. There's a month left until the OSCE summit in Astana, we will see," he said.
Asked whether the Armenian and Azerbaijani ministers would meet before the Astana summit, Elmar Mammadyarov said it was too soon to say.
The Azerbaijani side will submit a final response on the work of the OSCE assessment mission. "The involvement of the mediators in the conflict settlement will create a wonderful opportunity to attain stability in the region," Mammadyarov said.
"One of the goals of the OSCE assessment mission to the occupied Azerbaijani territories was to clarify the artificial settlement of the Armenians," he continued.
He said that "Armenian armed forces have to leave the occupied lands and refugees have to return to their homes".
"Peace and stability in the region mostly depend on the conflict settlement," the minister said.
South Ossetia
On Georgia's conflict with Russia, Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze welcomed the agreement on the withdrawal of Russian divisions from the village of Perevi, reached during the the 13th round of talks with Russia in Geneva. but warned against getting carried away by the decision.
Vashadze told the joint news conference that Russia had made similar statements earlier, so Georgia should refrain from comment until the troops were actually pulled out.
"The Russian side often impedes constructive dialogue. Yesterday's decision is not impressive, though it is a positive result. We want more," Vashadze said.
Bilateral ties
Georgian-Azerbaijani relations are a high level, Elmar Mammadyarov told the press conference.
"Despite this, these relations require constant development which is helped by frequent meetings between the foreign ministers, like today's," he said.
Vashadze said they had discussed the full range of bilateral relations, including political and economic issues.
"We've done good work, although of course we cannot talk about all the details, but I can say that all the issues are important for our relations," the Georgian minister said.
The meeting also discussed energy issues, Mammadyarov said.
He commented that Azerbaijan and Georgia were involved in major infrastructure projects, singling out the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, due to be completed in late 2012 or early 2013.
Georgia Online, 1news.az, APA
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