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FM: Always possible to reach peace agreement on Nagorno-Karabakh (UPDATE)

Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict Materials 26 February 2011 11:00 (UTC +04:00)
The Russian side has proposed to hold the next meeting of the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia, where the negotiations would continue, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov told reporters on Saturday.
FM: Always possible to reach peace agreement on Nagorno-Karabakh (UPDATE)

Details were added after third paragraph (first version was posted at 10:40)

Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb. 26 /Trend/

The Russian side has proposed to hold the next meeting of the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia, where the negotiations would continue, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov told reporters on Saturday.

"In January, we held a meeting at the level of foreign ministers. Some questions remained open at that meeting. It was agreed that discussions on these open questions will be conducted at the presidential level," he said.

According to him, there is no change in the format of negotiations. It is always possible to reach a peace agreement on Nagorno-Karabakh, the minister.

"It is yet too early to say what agreements we can reach," he said. Minister regarded as a positive signal the meeting itself. Reaching progress at this meeting depends on Armenia's position, he said.

Co-chair countries consider it necessary to continue the negotiation process, on which the presidents of the co-chair countries issued a statement in Toronto, Canada.

"We hope that the provisions of this statement will be implemented," said the minister.
According to him, co-chair countries are also interested in supporting solutions to the conflict.
"For this, Armenia should withdraw its troops from occupied Azerbaijani territories," he said.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. - are currently holding the peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.

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