Russian, Azeri Presidents Discuss Conflicts
Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 16 Sep.'08 / 19:56

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said he had informed in detail his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, on the reasons behind Russia’s recent moves in respect of Georgia.

The two presidents met on September 16 in Moscow.

The Azerbaijani president said he was concerned with the current situation in the region and said his country was ready to play a role in “normalizing” the situation. He also said that Russian-Azerbaijani relations were of an “exemplary” nature.

“If only everybody had such good neighborly relations as Russia and Azerbaijan have, there would be not only conflicts, but there would be no misunderstanding at all,” Aliyev said.

Medvedev said at a joint news conference that although Moscow had recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, its position towards a settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict remained unchanged.

“I expressed support for the continuation of direct talks between the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia and assured President Aliyev that Russia will further render necessary assistance in the search for a mutually acceptable solution,” Medvedev said after the meeting, according to Interfax news agency.

The Azerbaijani president said at the same news conference said, as quoted by AFP: “It seems to us that there is now a good basis for a resolution of the conflict, which would fit with the interests of all states and would be based on the principles of international law.”

“If the conflict is resolved in the near future, I am sure that there will be new perspectives for regional cooperation,” he added.

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