Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec. 19/ Trend , R. Novruzov/ Armenia and Russia should announce their preparedness for talks with Azerbaijan to really settle the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, said S.Frederick Starr, American expert on the South Caucasus and Central Asia and head of Central Asia - Caucasus Institute.
"The fact that Russia originally acted as initiator of the conflict and later became mediator in the resolution of the conflict is, at least, strange," Starr said to Trend in Baku on Dec 19.
The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus began in 1988 due to Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since 1992, Armenian Armed Forces have occupied 20% of Azerbaijan including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven surrounding districts. 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 negotiations.
American political expert described activities of the OSCE Minsk Group as failure because of differences between two co-chair countries - Russia and the United States.
The expert described activeness of conflicting sides in talks especially with the active participation of Russia and precisely Moscow Declaration by leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia as Russia's strive to "wipe nose of U.S."
Presidents of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia Ilham Aliyev, Serzh Sarkisyan and Dmitry Medvedev signed a declaration at the end of their meeting in Main Dorf castle near Moscow on November 2. Presidents of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan decided to make joint efforts to normalize the situation in the Caucasus.