NAGORNO-KARABAKH NEEDS RESOLUTION
Voice of America
Sept 1 2005
Armenian President Robert Kocharian and Azerbaijani President
Ilham Aliyev met in Kazan, Russia, to discuss Nagomo-Karabakh, a
predominantly ethnic Armenian region of Azerbaijan, which, along
with seven surrounding Azerbaijan territories, is under Armenian
military control.
The local Armenian population declared independence from Azerbaijan
in 1991 and formed the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. But it is not
recognized by any country in the world.
War broke out between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh and
an estimated thirty-five thousand people died. The fighting and the
expulsion of Armenians from Azerbaijan and Azerbaijanis from Armenia
displaced more than a million people. Armenia and Azerbaijan have
observed a cease-fire agreement since 1994.
Some one-hundred-thousand Azerbaijanis remain in refugee
camps today, where conditions are often desperate. The U.S. is
providing humanitarian assistance to ethnic Armenian residents of
Nagorno-Karabakh and Azeris and others displaced to areas outside
the region. U.S. aid includes housing, health care, and clean water.
The U.S. supports the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and believes
that the future status of Nagorno-Karabakh should be decided through
negotiation. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged both
Mr. Kocharian and Mr. Aliyev to make the necessary compromises to
achieve an accord. In addition, Ms. Rice urged president Aliyev to hold
free and fair parliamentary elections this November in Azerbaijan. She
also told President Kocharian she hoped Armenia would enact a package
of constitutional reforms now before the parliament.
A permanent peace agreement in Nagorno-Karabakh would help bring
stability to Armenia, Azerbaijan, and the Caucasus region. Democratic
reforms could further improve economic and political prospects for
both Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The preceding was an editorial reflecting the views of the United
States Government.