Armenia and Azerbaijan seem prepared to make yet another attempt at settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The presidents of the two states are now tentatively scheduled to hold their second summit meeting of the year.
Earlier this year, with the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan meeting in the Paris suburb of Rambouillet, hopes were high that they could break the impasse over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh . The optimism, however, was unfounded as international mediators said that no substantial progress was made during the talks.
The lack of a breakthrough during the long-expected summit between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian President Robert Kocharian on Nagorno-Karabakh has flattened Azerbaijani hopes for a peaceful resolution to the 18-year-old territorial dispute, observers say.
Diplomats are expressing cautious optimism about the February 10 summit between the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan in the Paris suburb of Rambouillet. According to sources close to the negotiators, the differences are narrowing between the two sides on a framework agreement on the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Armenian leaders are hopeful, but cautious as they approach what could prove to be pivotal talks concerning the future of the Nagorno-Karabakh territory.
Armenian leaders are hopeful, but cautious as they approach what could prove to be pivotal talks concerning the future of the Nagorno-Karabakh territory.
Much of the recent optimism surrounding the Karabakh peace process was generated by May15-16 discussions between Armenian President Robert Kocharian and Azerbaijani leader Ilham Aliyev. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].
Armenian and Azerbaijani diplomats, along with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, gathered in London on April 15 to probe for a breakthrough in the stalemated Nagorno-Karabakh peace talks.
