Azerbaijan, Baku, 2 November/ Trend /A declaration was signed as a result of a meeting of Presidents of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia - Ilham Aliyev, Serge Sargsyan and Dmitry Medvedev, in the Main Dorf palace in Moscow on 2 November. President of Russia proposed the two countries' presidents meet in Moscow during his visit to Armenia last month.
The Kremlin noted that the principle position of Russia in the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement is that the final choice regarding the status of disputed territories must be made by Armenians and Azerbaijanis. In doing so, Moscow will support a solution that satisfies both sides and is ready to act as a guarantor settlement
The leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to work together on healing the current situation in the Caucasus, as well as instructed foreign ministers to continue work on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, RIA Novosti reported. Presidents of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan declared that they would contribute to health the situation in South Caucasus and establish regional stability and security through a political solution to the conflict after they substantively and substantially discussed the state and prospects of settling of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict by political means through the continuation of direct dialogue between Azerbaijan and Armenia and mediation of Russia, the United States and France as co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, the declaration said . The declaration envisages settlement of the conflict on the basis of the principles and norms of international law and adopted in the framework of decisions and documents, which will create favorable conditions for economic development and comprehensive cooperation in the region. Declaration was read out by Dmitry Medvedev after negotiations.
Armenia has occupied 20% of Azerbaijan's lands including Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding seven regions. The occupation began in 1988. Azerbaijan lost the Nagorno-Karabakh, except of Shusha and Khojali, in December 1991. In 1992-93, Armenian Armed Forces occupied Shusha, Khojali and Nagorno-Karabakhїs seven surrounding regions. In 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which time the active hostilities ended. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group ( Russia, France, and the US) are currently holding peaceful, but fruitless negotiations