Statement of Heydar Aliyev, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan after the meeting with Robert Kocharyan, the President of the Republic of Armenia - Geneva, August 22, 1999

Dear media representatives!

The meeting between the President of the Republic of Armenia and the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan took place here today.

This is our second face to face meeting. The previous meeting that took place a month ago was also organized here, in Geneva.

First of all I would like to thank Swiss government and authorities of Geneva for providing us a possibility to meet and discuss issues concerning our relationships. Everything was organized perfectly, and I think that if there is necessity in such meetings in the future, there is no need to seek another city.

We have discussed a wide range of issues, concerning the peaceful settlement of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan - Mountainous Garabagh conflict. I think that the previous meeting that took place a month ago and negotiations that we held were useful and they enable us to look for the feasible ways of peaceful settlement of the conflict more actively.

Together with President Robert Kocharyan we spoke very openly about interests of both Azerbaijan and Armenia. I am pleased that we were of the same opinion that we should seek and find the ways of the peaceful settlement meeting the mutual interests.

In this connection we have touched this issue upon during our meeting and I would like to say that Azerbaijan still firmly adheres the keeping of cease-fire regime and not admit any violation until final peaceful settlement of the conflict.

From the practical viewpoint we agreed on giving the orders to the Ministers of the Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia to meet and define specific measures on strengthening the cease-fire regime. I consider it a great achievement that although we are in war in a 5-year period, we managed to maintain the cease-fire regime without intervention of any foreign country and peacekeeping forces.

At the same time, there are skirmishes and losses on the cease-fire line on both sides. It makes us anxious. Therefore, we consider it necessary to strengthen the cease-fire regime and prevent the skirmishes and losses.

As for the problem of the settlement, we are of the same opinion that we should make mutual compromises fitting the national interests of both countries. It seems to us that we should resume the negotiation process that weakened in the course of the last months in order to strengthen our dialogue and negotiation process.

In this connection we have given the appropriate orders to the Ministers of the Foreign Affairs. Therefore, I hope that after our private meetings and negotiations that we held, resuming of the negotiations process may strengthen our work aimed at the peaceful settlement of the conflict.

Azerbaijan has no doubt that the conflict should be settled, moreover, it should be settled peacefully. It seems that Armenia has not doubt as well. However, in any case we have to seek and find correct solutions for this difficult problem. Azerbaijan wants to settle this problem peacefully and we will do our best for the peaceful settlement of the conflict in the future.

If the peace is established in Caucasus, especially this conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan is settled, the wide perspectives will open before our countries and the Caucasus in general. We are aware of it and we take and will take the appropriate measures based on this.

Thank you for your attention.