Iran Unveils Aspects of Its Karabakah Peace Proposal
TEHRAN/BAKU/YEREVAN (Dispatches) -- Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Abbas Araqchi has unveiled some aspects Iran’s initiative for resolution of the conflict over Azerbaijan’s breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, saying the proposed plan aims to promote "lasting peace” and settle the decades-long dispute between Baku and Yerevan.
Araqchi arrived in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku on Tuesday night at the head of a high-ranking delegation and announced parts of Iran’s initiative to end the conflict between the two warring sides over Karabakh.
During the official trip, the Iranian diplomat was set to hold meetings with Azeri officials and also visit the Russian, Armenian, and Turkish capitals.
"This trip is part of a periodic visit to those countries in the region that are effective in ending the recent conflict between the Republic of Azerbaijan and Armenia, and the main purpose of the trip is to present the initiative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to resolve this conflict and reach lasting peace between the two countries and the region,” Araqchi said.
"The framework of this initiative has been prepared and will be discussed with the officials of the Republic of Azerbaijan during this visit,” he added.
Araqchi underlined that, "In several stages, this plan can lead the situation to a lasting peace and end the existing conflict and, of course, the occupation of the territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan.”
Araqchi described the end of the occupation of the territories of Azerbaijan as an "important element” in Iran’s proposed plan and said, "The protection of minority rights and humanitarian rights is another basis for Iran’s initiative to end the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.”
The Iranian deputy foreign minister went on to say that ending the conflict and "starting a dialogue with the help of influential countries” with the aim of ensuring peace is another key axis of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s initiative.
"We are consulting all these issues with the countries of the region and we hope that this plan can reach the desired point for implementation,” Araqchi stated.
"We always support the Azerbaijan’s efforts to liberate its occupied cities and areas,” Araqchi said, adding, "The territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan and other countries in the region and the inviolability of borders is an important and unbreachable principle that must be respected.”
Azerbaijan accused Armenia of killing 21 people and wounding dozens in a missile strike near Nagorno-Karabakh on Wednesday, the deadliest reported attack on civilians in a month of fighting over the disputed region.
The attack was the second in two days, that Azerbaijan says killed civilians in its Barda district close to the frontline.
The latest attacks came despite a U.S.-brokered truce agreed at the weekend, the third ceasefire attempt in a row to collapse just minutes after it took effect.
Azerbaijani presidential aide Hikmet Hajiyev said Armenian forces had fired Smerch missiles against Barda, accusing them of using cluster munitions "to inflict excessive casualties among civilians”.
The prosecutor general’s office said the strike had hit a densely populated area and a shopping district, killing 21 civilians and wounding at least 70.
Azerbaijan had on Tuesday accused Armenia of another missile strike in the Barda district that killed four civilians including a two-year-old girl.
The casualties are the worst for Azerbaijani civilians since 13 people were killed in shelling on the country’s second city Ganja on October 17.
Armenia has denied carrying out attacks on civilians and on Wednesday defense ministry spokeswoman Shushan Stepanyan said the latest claim was "groundless and false”.
Its government said Azerbaijan had hit the Karabakh town of Shusha with rockets on Wednesday, killing one civilian, and a maternity hospital in the region’s main city Stepanakert.
Azerbaijan and Armenia have been locked in a bitter conflict over Karabakh since Armenian separatists backed by Yerevan seized control of the mountainous province in a 1990s war that left 30,000 people dead.
Karabakh’s self-declared secession has not been recognized internationally, even by Armenia, and it remains a part of Azerbaijan under international law.
The current fighting broke out on September 27 and has persisted despite repeated attempts to bring about a ceasefire by Russia, France and the United States.
The three countries form the "Minsk Group”, which has failed since the 1990s to bring about a negotiated settlement to the conflict.
A new agreement was reached in Washington for a ceasefire to start on Monday but it quickly fell apart.
This year’s fighting is the heaviest since a 1994 ceasefire. Azerbaijan has claimed to be making significant gains since the fighting began by retaking areas it lost in the 1990s war, in particular in a buffer zone outside Karabakh seized by the Armenians.
Armenia has admitted to suffering losses and called on volunteers to join the fighting at the front.
More than 1,000 people have been reported dead in the fighting, mainly Armenian separatist fighters but also dozens of civilians on both sides.
Azerbaijan has not released any figures on its military casualties.
Araqchi arrived in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku on Tuesday night at the head of a high-ranking delegation and announced parts of Iran’s initiative to end the conflict between the two warring sides over Karabakh.
During the official trip, the Iranian diplomat was set to hold meetings with Azeri officials and also visit the Russian, Armenian, and Turkish capitals.
"This trip is part of a periodic visit to those countries in the region that are effective in ending the recent conflict between the Republic of Azerbaijan and Armenia, and the main purpose of the trip is to present the initiative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to resolve this conflict and reach lasting peace between the two countries and the region,” Araqchi said.
"The framework of this initiative has been prepared and will be discussed with the officials of the Republic of Azerbaijan during this visit,” he added.
Araqchi underlined that, "In several stages, this plan can lead the situation to a lasting peace and end the existing conflict and, of course, the occupation of the territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan.”
Araqchi described the end of the occupation of the territories of Azerbaijan as an "important element” in Iran’s proposed plan and said, "The protection of minority rights and humanitarian rights is another basis for Iran’s initiative to end the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.”
The Iranian deputy foreign minister went on to say that ending the conflict and "starting a dialogue with the help of influential countries” with the aim of ensuring peace is another key axis of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s initiative.
"We are consulting all these issues with the countries of the region and we hope that this plan can reach the desired point for implementation,” Araqchi stated.
"We always support the Azerbaijan’s efforts to liberate its occupied cities and areas,” Araqchi said, adding, "The territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan and other countries in the region and the inviolability of borders is an important and unbreachable principle that must be respected.”
Azerbaijan accused Armenia of killing 21 people and wounding dozens in a missile strike near Nagorno-Karabakh on Wednesday, the deadliest reported attack on civilians in a month of fighting over the disputed region.
The attack was the second in two days, that Azerbaijan says killed civilians in its Barda district close to the frontline.
The latest attacks came despite a U.S.-brokered truce agreed at the weekend, the third ceasefire attempt in a row to collapse just minutes after it took effect.
Azerbaijani presidential aide Hikmet Hajiyev said Armenian forces had fired Smerch missiles against Barda, accusing them of using cluster munitions "to inflict excessive casualties among civilians”.
The prosecutor general’s office said the strike had hit a densely populated area and a shopping district, killing 21 civilians and wounding at least 70.
Azerbaijan had on Tuesday accused Armenia of another missile strike in the Barda district that killed four civilians including a two-year-old girl.
The casualties are the worst for Azerbaijani civilians since 13 people were killed in shelling on the country’s second city Ganja on October 17.
Armenia has denied carrying out attacks on civilians and on Wednesday defense ministry spokeswoman Shushan Stepanyan said the latest claim was "groundless and false”.
Its government said Azerbaijan had hit the Karabakh town of Shusha with rockets on Wednesday, killing one civilian, and a maternity hospital in the region’s main city Stepanakert.
Azerbaijan and Armenia have been locked in a bitter conflict over Karabakh since Armenian separatists backed by Yerevan seized control of the mountainous province in a 1990s war that left 30,000 people dead.
Karabakh’s self-declared secession has not been recognized internationally, even by Armenia, and it remains a part of Azerbaijan under international law.
The current fighting broke out on September 27 and has persisted despite repeated attempts to bring about a ceasefire by Russia, France and the United States.
The three countries form the "Minsk Group”, which has failed since the 1990s to bring about a negotiated settlement to the conflict.
A new agreement was reached in Washington for a ceasefire to start on Monday but it quickly fell apart.
This year’s fighting is the heaviest since a 1994 ceasefire. Azerbaijan has claimed to be making significant gains since the fighting began by retaking areas it lost in the 1990s war, in particular in a buffer zone outside Karabakh seized by the Armenians.
Armenia has admitted to suffering losses and called on volunteers to join the fighting at the front.
More than 1,000 people have been reported dead in the fighting, mainly Armenian separatist fighters but also dozens of civilians on both sides.
Azerbaijan has not released any figures on its military casualties.