Azerbaijan will respond on Russia’s proposals on Nagorny Karabakh settlement after it studies it, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister lmar Mammadyarov said.
On Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, hand over Russia’s proposals on the Nagorno Karabakh settlement to both the Azerbaijani and the Armenian sides.
“We are carefully studying the proposal made by [Russian] President [Dmitry] Medvedev, and after a thorough insight we will give our response,” Mammadyarov said.
Mammadyarov will pay an official visit to Russia on July 17-18 by the Lavrov’s invitation where the sides will continue the talks on the Nagorno Karabakh settlement.
Nagorny Karabakh, a breakaway region on Azerbaijani territory with a predominantly ethnic Armenian population, has been at the center of a bitter conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Under the updated in Madrid principles of the settlement Azerbaijan insist Armenia should withdraw in the near future its troops from the territories of Azerbaijan.
An agreement on Nagorny Karabakh will be only possible if Azerbaijan gives up a number of amendments suggested during a meeting in Kazan, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan said.
Armenia and Azerbaijan were unable to come to an agreement on the path to peace in Nagorny Karabakh after a meeting in Russia’s Kazan in June, but said some progress had been made.
Nagorny Karabakh has remained under Armenian control since the late 1980s, when the region claimed independence from Azerbaijan to join Armenia. The conflict is estimated to have left more than 30,000 people dead on both sides between 1988 and 1994.