Presidents may meet in Russia following US talks

After a meeting in Florida, Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia may hold the next round of talks in Russia, according to Foreign Minister Vilayat Guliyev. He said Russia as co-chair in the OSCE Minsk Group and as country with immense political and economic interests at stake in the region can facilitate the conflict solution. At the same time, Min. Guliyev voiced his concern that recent strain in US-Russian relations can adversely affect the process of settlement.

The minister ruled out the possibility of signing of a conflict settlement agreement in Key West, saying that the Presidents would only exchange views.

Commenting on the likelihood of stationing Turkish military units in Azerbaijan, Min. Guliyev said if Armenia, a party to the conflict, is home to a third country’s military base, Azerbaijan too needs to invigorate its military potential in order to the balance to be restored. There have been no official appeals on part of Turkey yet, the minister said and emphasized a need for stepping up effort in this direction.*