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Category: Azerbaijan

  • Mediators Renew Calls For Karabakh Peace

    Mediators Renew Calls For Karabakh Peace

    By Emil Danielyan and Anush Martirosian

    The United States, Russia and France urged Armenia and Azerbaijan on Thursday to build on reported progress in recent talks between their president and reach a framework agreement on Nagorno-Karabakh in the “coming months.”

    High-ranking diplomats from the three nations jointly spearheading the drawn-out peace process reaffirmed the basic principles of a Karabakh settlement that were formally submitted to the conflicting parties in Madrid last year.

    “We call on the parties to work with the Co-Chairs [of the OSCE Minsk Group] to finalize the Basic Principles in coming months, and then begin drafting a comprehensive peace settlement as outlined by those agreed principles,” Foreign Ministers Sergei Lavrov of Russia and Bernard Kouchner of France and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried said in a joint declaration.

    The declaration was issued after the three men met with the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers on the sidelines of an OSCE ministerial meeting in Helsinki. A spokesman for Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian told RFE/RL that the meeting lasted for about 15 minutes but gave no further details.

    Nalbandian and his Azerbaijani counterpart, Elmar Mammadyarov, held much lengthier talks in the Finnish capital on Wednesday in the presence of other American, French and Russian diplomats co-chairing the Minsk Group. A statement by the Armenian Foreign Ministry said they agreed to maintain the “positive atmosphere” created by the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents at their November 2 talks outside Moscow. In a joint statement with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Serzh Sarkisian and Ilham Aliev pledged to “intensify” the peace process.

    Lavrov, Kouchner and Fried likewise emphasized the “positive momentum” which they said was established by the two presidents. “The Moscow Declaration signed that same day opened a new and promising phase in our shared endeavor to expand peace in the South Caucasus,” they said.

    The Helsinki statement called on the conflicting parties to bolster the ceasefire regime along the Line of Contact east of Karabakh and the Armenian-Azerbaijani frontier by pulling back snipers from their frontline positions. “We reiterate our firm view that there is no military solution to the conflict and call on the parties to recommit to a peaceful resolution,” it said.

    The declaration said nothing about the next meeting of Aliev and Sarkisian which the mediators say could prove decisive for the signing of an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace accord. Matthew Bryza, Washington’s chief Karabakh negotiator, said last month the holding of yet another Armenian-Azerbaijani summit hinges on the outcome of the Helsinki talks.

    Speaking to an RFE/RL correspondent in Helsinki on Thursday, Bryza expressed hope that Aliev and Sarkisian will meet again “in a couple of weeks” and insisted that the peace process is “moving forward.” “We need to see the basic principles finalized, and we believe they can be soon,” he said. “And we also want to see serious confidence-building measures and finally make sure everybody realizes there is only a peaceful settlement to this conflict. You cannot solve this conflict through a military way.”

    In Yerevan, meanwhile, a former military leader of Karabakh, Samvel Babayan, predicted that the Armenian-Azerbaijani dispute will remain unresolved in the next five years. He also criticized the Armenian government’s Karabakh policy.

    “Even though our foe hasn’t accepted any compromise variants, we are saying that are ready to compromise,” Babayan told journalists. “Nobody knows what are giving up and why.”

    The once influential general also accused Yerevan of helping to effectively drive the Karabakh Armenians out of the negotiating process. “Yerevan should not have become a negotiating party,” he said. “Stepanakert should have.”

    Arkady Ter-Tadevosian, another retired army general who played a major part in the 1991-1994 war with Azerbaijan, was also skeptical about chances of Karabakh peace. He claimed that oil-rich Azerbaijan is making “intensive preparations for hostilities.”

    (Armenian Foreign Ministry photo: Lavrov reads out the declaration to journalists.)

    https://www.azatutyun.am/a/1598714.html

  • Azerbaijan Consulate General in Kars inaugurates its new administrative building

    Azerbaijan Consulate General in Kars inaugurates its new administrative building

    Kars–APA. Azerbaijan Consulate General in Kars, Turkey inaugurated its new administrative building, Azerbaijan Press Council told APA.

    Leading media representatives, non-governmental organizations and public and political figures attended the ceremony. Welcoming the participants Azerbaijan’s Consul General in Kars Hasan Zeynalov spoke about the consulate’s 4-year activity. Azerbaijan’s Consul General in Istanbul Sayyad Aran focused on the ceremony’s role in the deepening of Turkey-Azerbaijan friendship. Member of Azerbaijani Parliament Nizami Khudiyev, Chairman of the Azerbaijan Press Council Aflatun Amashov, Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Vagif Sadigov, Governor of Igdir City Saim Safffet Karahisarli, Governor of Kars Mehmet Ufuk Erden and others called the ceremony as a historic event for both Kars and Azerbaijan. Azerbaijani journalists began their tour on Igdir and Kars on the Press Council’s initiative on December 2. Representatives of the non-governmental organizations and members of the Azerbaijani parliament were also included in the delegation. On Wednesday the delegation leaves for Igdir, where the monument of Azerbaijani martyrs will be opened on December 4.

  • New office of Azerbaijani consulate general to be opened in Kars city

    New office of Azerbaijani consulate general to be opened in Kars city

    Azerbaijani MPs have left for Turkey to take part in the inauguration of the new office of Azerbaijani consulate general in Kars,Turkey.

     

    Azerbaijani MPs Nizami Khudiyev and Rustam Khalilov have left for Turkey today. They will take part in the inauguration ceremony of the new office of Azerbaijani consulate general in Kars city, Turkey.  

    Press service of Milli Majlis (Parliament) informed ANS PRESS that Azerbaijani deputies will be familiarized with the activity of the consulate general within their visit on December 2-4.

  • Armenian Foreign Minister Visits Turkey

    Armenian Foreign Minister Visits Turkey

    Armenian Foreign Minister Visits Turkey, Reaffirms Determination for Dialogue

    Publication: Eurasia Daily Monitor Volume: 5 Issue: 228
    December 2, 2008 01:47 AM Age: 25 min
    Category: Eurasia Daily Monitor, Armenia, Turkey
    By: Saban Kardas

    Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia continue to take steps toward resolving their problems through diplomatic channels. High-level meetings coinciding with international gatherings have become an ordinary development, showing the confidence and progress gained so far.

    Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian visited Turkey on November 24 to discuss the details of Armenia’s assumption of the rotating presidency of the Organization of Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC). During his trip to the BSEC’s permanent secretariat in Istanbul, Nalbandian also had dinner with his Turkish counterpart Ali Babacan. The two ministers discussed the progress in Turkish-Armenian talks, which had been taking place at lower levels since the historic meeting between the presidents of the two nations in Yerevan and the trilateral meeting between the foreign ministers of Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan in New York in September (Anadolu Ajansi, November 24).

    Nalbandian emphasized that there were no major obstacles to the normalization of bilateral relations and called for “opening a new page.” He repeated the Armenian position that diplomatic relations between Turkey and Armenia should be resumed without any preconditions and that Turkey should open the border. Babacan emphasized that Turkey sought a permanent solution with Armenia. He noted the importance of settling the Karabakh dispute and called for accelerating the Armenian-Azeri dialogue (Milliyet, November 25; Today’s Zaman, November 30).

    Nalbandian was asked by Turkish journalists, “What makes you so optimistic, despite the fact that the parties are maintaining their positions?” He responded by saying that negotiations were continuing on a “constructive, sincere, and open” basis. He noted that the momentum for solution was there and the parties should take advantage of it (Zaman, November 25). Reflecting the same spirit, Babacan said that all three parties should make the best use of the window of opportunity made possible by the trilateral dialogue. “If the window is closed, it may be difficult to reopen it,” said Babacan (Hurriyet, November 26).

    The intention to normalize relations is definitely there, but why did Babacan emphasize the need for urgency? On the Armenian side, there is definitely a desire to end the severe economic problems caused by negative relations with Turkey and Azerbaijan. It hopes to settle bilateral disputes and open the country to the outside. Nonetheless, Sarkisian’s approach in favor of a diplomatic solution has increasingly come under criticism by nationalist forces at home and from the Armenian diaspora (EDM, November 25). Failure to deliver acceptable solutions might alienate those elements supporting dialogue.

    On the Turkish side, uncertainty about the incoming American administration’s policy on the Armenian issue create an urgency to address the problem. If Turkey can resolve the bilateral problems through diplomatic dialogue with Armenia, it could successfully undermine the Armenian diaspora’s efforts to influence the Obama administration against the Turkish interpretation of the Armenian genocide (Radikal, November 25).

    Nalbandian and Babacan decided to maintain high-level meetings between the foreign ministers with the participation of Azerbaijan whenever possible. Commending Turkish President Abdullah Gul for his “wise” decision to visit Armenia in September, Nalbandian announced that Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian would travel to Turkey in October 2009 to attend the next soccer game between the national teams of the two countries (Hurriyet, November 25). Diplomatic sources also disclosed that Nalbandian had invited Babacan to attend the next BSEC ministerial meeting scheduled to be held in Yerevan in April 2009. Although the Turkish side has not officially accepted the invitation, observers expect Babacan to attend this meeting (Zaman, November 27).

    A new occasion for holding talks between Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia might be provided by another international gathering later this week. The foreign ministers of Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan will be attending the forthcoming Ministerial Council meeting of the OSCE in Helsinki on December 4 and 5.

    The involvement of Azerbaijan is becoming increasingly crucial for Turkey’s own rapprochement with Armenia (Anadolu Ajansi, November 25). For Ankara, having Azerbaijan on board is crucial because it seeks to obtain approval from Baku for Turkey’s normalization with Armenia, such as opening the border or establishing diplomatic relations. For Armenia, maintaining this dialogue is necessary to resolve its bilateral disputes with Azerbaijan, which remain a major obstacle to comprehensive peace in the region. Thus, Turkey is working to normalize its relations with Armenia on the one hand and mediate between Azerbaijan and Armenia on the other.

    On December 1 Babacan is on an official visit to Baku at the invitation of his Azerbaijani counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov to discuss bilateral relations as well as the details of his meeting with Nalbandian. Babacan is expected to explore the possibility of arranging a three-way meeting in Helsinki. Before departing for Baku, Babacan told reporters that the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan would meet with the co-chairs of the Minsk group in Helsinki, following which he would meet his counterparts individually. He did not, however, announce a tripartite meeting yet (Ihlas Haber Ajansi, November 30).

    The Babacan and Mammadyarov meeting focused on energy cooperation, regional developments, the Caucasus Stability and Cooperation Platform (CSCP), the opening of Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, and Azerbaijan’s problems with Armenia. They discussed Karabakh issue in detail, and Mammadyarov clarified Baku’s policy on this dispute. During the joint press briefing following the meeting, Babacan reemphasized the urgency of solving the Karabakh problem now, and underlined the connections between solving Azerbaijan-Armenian problems and Turkish-Armenian problems. Although diplomatic observers had expected Babacan to discuss trilateral consultations in Helsinki, no such meeting was announced (www.ntvmsnbc.com; Cihan Haber Ajansi, December 1).

    As the noted Turkey analyst Cengiz Candar observed, the OSCE meeting would bring together not only the three countries but also other players that had attempted to mediate between Armenia and Azerbaijan. If the Helsinki talks could achieve progress in the Karabakh issue, it could pave the way for concrete steps toward normalization between Ankara and Yerevan in 2009 (Radikal, November 25).

    Turkey has also used this diplomatic traffic to begin setting in motion the Caucasus Stability and Cooperation Platform (CSCP) that would bring together Turkey, Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia. Since proposing the organization in the wake of the Russian-Georgian war, Turkey has conducted several meetings with the respective parties to ensure their participation. Babacan told reporters that representatives from the five countries would convene for the first time during the OSCE meeting in Helsinki. The members of the group will use the opportunity to specify the goals, principles, and mechanisms of the CSCP (Cihan Haber Ajansi, November 30).

    https://jamestown.org/program/armenian-foreign-minister-visits-turkey-reaffirms-determination-for-dialogue/

  • Official presentation of European Azerbaijan Society takes place in Britain

    Official presentation of European Azerbaijan Society takes place in Britain

    London. Kemale Guliyeva-APA. The official presentation of the European Azerbaijan Society (EAS) was held in Britain’s House of Lords, the Society told APA.
    Tale Heydarov, Chairman of the European Azerbaijan Society, said the EAS was originally established as the London Azerbaijan Society in 2004, aiming to promote Azerbaijani culture mainly to British audiences.
    According to him, earlier this year the Society took a decision to set up the EAS so as to broaden its activities to reach out wider audiences.
    “The Society aims to promote Azerbaijan as a modern, forward facing country with tremendous economic opportunities and a strong cultural heritage, to promote international relations with Azerbaijan to a wide political, media and cultural audience, to bring together Azerbaijanis living in Europe, and to involve them in promoting Azerbaijan and to raise awareness and end the apathy of the West towards the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” he added.
    He also underlined the significance of the Society’s publications to raise awareness about Azerbaijan in Europe. According to him, a magazine “Visions of Azerbaijan” is published in English every three months and distributed to libraries, scientific research centers around the world, a book called “Azerbaijan: 100 Questions Answered” was published in English and Russian, and a new collection of articles by foreign authors about the Nagorno Karabakh Conflict will soon be published in the UK.
    He also noted that the Society distributes monthly business and membership bulletins among political and business groups.
    Speaking about the undertaken projects, he underlined a documentary My Surreal Duty by British director Nick Tiron.
    “The EAS-initiated documentary with music by American Jeffrey Werbock deals with the lives of Azerbaijanis displaced from Karabakh by Armenian aggression. The firm is scheduled for completion in January,” he said.

    Addressing the event chairman of British-Azerbaijani Society Lord Fraser underlined that establishment of the European Azerbaijan Society in London was a significant event for the country’s recognition in the world. Lord Fraser appreciated the society’s activity in informing the Europe of the truths about Nagorno Karabakh conflict and said there was a great need for it. Noting Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity as the most important principle, Lord Fraser underlined the significance of Diaspora’s activity in finding fair solution to the problem. Lord Fraser said he was always ready to support and patronize the society’s work.

    Azerbaijan’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United Kingdom Fakhraddin Gurbanov noted that it was the second Azerbaijan-related event held in the House of Lords in November. Fakhraddin Gurbanov said the embassy would support the activity of the European Azerbaijan Society in the United Kingdom and added that the embassy had already held a joint event with the society.

    He said that Azerbaijani violinist Sabina Rakchiyeva studying at the University of London for PhD played works by outstanding Azerbaijani composer Gara Garayev at the concert on the composer’s 90th anniversary. The ambassador said the documentary film “My Surreal Duty” about Azerbaijani refugees and mugham was one of the most significant projects of European Azerbaijan Society. The film showed the hard life of the Azerbaijanis displaced from Karabakh due to Armenian aggression and their great musical heritage as the unity.

    At the end of the event director of the documentary film Nick Tiron demonstrated a piece of his work. The participants were given brochures published by European Azerbaijan Society in London “Business bulletin”, “Azerbaijan’s role in the Caucasus and international policy” and “Nagorno Karabakh” and book “Azerbaijan: 100 Questions Answered”.

    The event was attended by UK MPs, public and political figures, businesspeople representatives from London-based diplomatic corps, international organizations and Azeri community.

  • Turkish FM, In Baku, Defends Armenia Ties

    Turkish FM, In Baku, Defends Armenia Ties

    AFP

     Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan on Monday defended Ankara’s efforts to improve ties with Armenia during a visit to Azerbaijan, where Turkish overtures to its arch-foe have raised concerns.

    Following talks with Azerbaijani counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov, Babacan said better ties between Turkey and Armenia would help to resolve the longstanding conflict over Azerbaijan’s breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

    “The normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations would have a positive impact on the Azerbaijan-Armenia talks over Nagorno-Karabakh,” he said at a press conference.

    Babacan’s visit came amid a push by Turkey for more influence in the volatile Caucasus region, where Russia and Georgia fought a brief war in August. After the conflict, Ankara proposed creating a new forum for cooperation in the region, which Babacan called for regional governments to support.

    “All the countries of the region must sit at the bargaining table,” he said.

    In September, Turkish President Abdullah Gul became the first Turkish head of state to visit Armenia, boosting a tentative dialogue process between the two countries to overcome their history of enmity.

    Both Turkey and Azerbaijan have severed ties with Armenia, closing borders and imposing an economic blockade on Yerevan as a result of the Karabakh dispute. But Azerbaijani media and some officials have raised concerns that Ankara’s recent overtures to Yerevan could see it re-open the border and lift its embargo, easing international pressure on Armenia to give up control of Karabakh and other territories seized from Azerbaijan.