Karabakh conflict settlement will make south Caucasus bridge between eastern and western civilizations: Lebanese president says
10.12.2011,
00:09
The settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will allow the South Caucasus to become a bridge between eastern and western civilizations, Lebanese President Michel Sleiman said today in Yerevan.
YEREVAN, December 9. /ARKA/. The settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will allow the South Caucasus to become a bridge between eastern and western civilizations, Lebanese President Michel Sleiman said today in Yerevan.
"Lebanon attaches special importance to the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict that would make this region a bridge connecting the two civilizations, as Armenia’s president wishes, not a dividing line between them," he said Friday at a joint press conference with President of Armenia.
According to him, Lebanon will always stand next to Armenia and help her in building peace and stability, as well as in the settlement of the conflict that hinder normal relations between Armenia and some neighboring countries.
The conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh broke out in 1988 after the predominantly Armenian-populated enclave declared about secession from Azerbaijan As Azerbaijan declared its independence from the Soviet Union and removed the powers held by the enclave's government, the Armenian majority voted in 1991, December 10, to secede from Azerbaijan and in the process proclaimed the enclave the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Full-scale fighting, initiated by Azerbaijan, erupted in the late winter of 1992. International mediation by several groups including Europe's OSCE’s failed to bring an end resolution that both sides could work with. In the spring of 1993, Armenian forces captured regions outside the enclave itself.
By the end of the war in 1994, the Armenians were in full control of most of the enclave and also held and currently control seven regions beyond the administrative borders of Nagorno-Karabakh. Almost 1 million people on both sides have been displaced as a result of the conflict. A Russian- -brokered ceasefire was signed in May 1994 and peace talks, mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group, have been held ever since by Armenia and Azerbaijan.-0-
"Lebanon attaches special importance to the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict that would make this region a bridge connecting the two civilizations, as Armenia’s president wishes, not a dividing line between them," he said Friday at a joint press conference with President of Armenia.
According to him, Lebanon will always stand next to Armenia and help her in building peace and stability, as well as in the settlement of the conflict that hinder normal relations between Armenia and some neighboring countries.
The conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh broke out in 1988 after the predominantly Armenian-populated enclave declared about secession from Azerbaijan As Azerbaijan declared its independence from the Soviet Union and removed the powers held by the enclave's government, the Armenian majority voted in 1991, December 10, to secede from Azerbaijan and in the process proclaimed the enclave the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Full-scale fighting, initiated by Azerbaijan, erupted in the late winter of 1992. International mediation by several groups including Europe's OSCE’s failed to bring an end resolution that both sides could work with. In the spring of 1993, Armenian forces captured regions outside the enclave itself.
By the end of the war in 1994, the Armenians were in full control of most of the enclave and also held and currently control seven regions beyond the administrative borders of Nagorno-Karabakh. Almost 1 million people on both sides have been displaced as a result of the conflict. A Russian- -brokered ceasefire was signed in May 1994 and peace talks, mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group, have been held ever since by Armenia and Azerbaijan.-0-
