ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Oct 19 2007
Armenia committed to peaceful settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
YEREVAN, October 19. /ARKA/. Armenia remains committed to a peaceful
settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict by means of compromises.
Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan stated at his meeting with US
Vice-President Richard Chaney.
The press and public relations department, RA Government, reports
that during his meetings with US high-ranking officials, the RA
Premier expressed hope that the discussions and negotiations within
the Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe (OSCE) will produce desired results.
Richard Chaney pointed out the USA’s interest in the improvement of
the Armenian-Turkish relations and settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict, and the country’s support of the efforts made by the OSCE
Minsk Group.
The Karabakh conflict broke out in 1988 when Nagorno Karabakh, mainly
populated by Armenians, declared its independence from Azerbaijan.
On December 10, 1991, a few days after the collapse of the Soviet
Union, a referendum took place in Nagorno-Karabakh, and the majority
of the population (99.89%) voted for independence from Azerbaijan.
Afterwards, large-scale military operations began, as a result of
which Azerbaijan lost control over Nagorno-Karabakh and the seven
regions adjacent to it.
On May 12, 1994 after the signing of the Bishkek cease-fire
agreement, the military operations were stopped.
Since 1992, negotiations over the peaceful settlement of the conflict
have been carried out within the OSCE Minsk Group, co-chaired by the
USA, Russia and France.-0–