Prague Process (Armenian–Azerbaijani negotiations)
Encyclopedia
The Prague Process is a series of negotiations over Nagorno-Karabakh
between the Armenia
n and Azerbaijan
i foreign ministries. It began on April 16, 2004 when the newly appointed Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov
met his Armenian counterpart Vartan Oskanian in Czech
capital Prague
. The process is mediated by France
, Russia
, and the United States
. According to the OSCE Minsk Group
report, a new method of negotiation involved "no agenda, no commitment, no negotiation, but a free discussion, on any issue proposed by Armenia, Azerbaijan, or by the [OSCE Minsk Group] co-chairs".
The first round of Prague Process culminated in Warsaw
on May 15, 2005 by meeting of Ilham Aliyev
and Robert Kocharyan. The four meetings between the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, conducted within the Prague Process framework, allowed the methodical re-examination of all negotiational parameters. Both Azerbaijan and Armenia have agreed that if a settlement is reached, five of the seven Armenian-controlled raions
adjacent to Nagorno-Karabakh will be returned to Azerbaijan and international peacekeeper
s will be deployed. The Prague Process was followed by Madrid Principles
.
Nagorno-Karabakh
Nagorno-Karabakh is a landlocked region in the South Caucasus, lying between Lower Karabakh and Zangezur and covering the southeastern range of the Lesser Caucasus mountains...
between the Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
n and Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
i foreign ministries. It began on April 16, 2004 when the newly appointed Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov
Elmar Mammadyarov
Elmar Mammadyarov Maharram oglu , born on July 2, 1960, Baku), is the Foreign Minister in the Government of Azerbaijan since 2004. Mammadyarov speaks Russian, English and Turkish.-Early life:...
met his Armenian counterpart Vartan Oskanian in Czech
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
capital Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. The process is mediated by France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. According to the OSCE Minsk Group
OSCE Minsk Group
The OSCE Minsk Group was created in 1992 by the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe to encourage a peaceful, negotiated resolution to the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh.-Founding and members:The Helsinki Additional Meeting of the CSCE Council on 24 March...
report, a new method of negotiation involved "no agenda, no commitment, no negotiation, but a free discussion, on any issue proposed by Armenia, Azerbaijan, or by the [OSCE Minsk Group] co-chairs".
The first round of Prague Process culminated in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
on May 15, 2005 by meeting of Ilham Aliyev
Ilham Aliyev
Ilham Heydar oglu Aliyev is the President of Azerbaijan since 2003. He also functions as the Chairman of the New Azerbaijan Party and the head of the National Olympic Committee...
and Robert Kocharyan. The four meetings between the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, conducted within the Prague Process framework, allowed the methodical re-examination of all negotiational parameters. Both Azerbaijan and Armenia have agreed that if a settlement is reached, five of the seven Armenian-controlled raions
Raion
A raion is a type of administrative unit of several post-Soviet countries. The term, which is from French rayon 'honeycomb, department,' describes both a type of a subnational entity and a division of a city, and is commonly translated in English as "district"...
adjacent to Nagorno-Karabakh will be returned to Azerbaijan and international peacekeeper
Peacekeeper
Peacekeeper may refer to:* A person involved in peacekeeping* Peace officer* Conservator of the peaceIn vehicles:* The LGM-118 Peacekeeper, a land-based nuclear ICBM...
s will be deployed. The Prague Process was followed by Madrid Principles
Madrid Principles
The Madrid Principles refer to one of the proposed peace settlements of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The original version of the principles was presented to the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers at the OSCE ministerial conference in the Spanish capital Madrid in November 2007...
.
External link
See also
- Bishkek ProtocolBishkek ProtocolBishkek Protocol is a provisional ceasefire agreement, signed by representatives of Republic of Armenia , unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh , Republic of Azerbaijan and Russia's representative to the CSCE Minsk Group Vladimir Kazimirov on May 5, 1994...
- Tehran CommuniquéTehran CommuniquéThe Tehran Communiqué, also known as the Joint statement of the heads of state in Tehran is the joint communiqué mediated by Iranian President, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and signed by the acting President of Azerbaijan, Yagub Mammadov and President of Armenia, Levon Ter-Petrosian on May 7, 1992 with...
- Zheleznovodsk CommuniquéZheleznovodsk CommuniquéThe Zheleznovodsk Communiqué, also known as the Zheleznovodsk Declaration or Zheleznovodsk Accords, is the joint peace communiqué mediated by Russian President, Boris Yeltsin and Kazakhstan President, Nursultan Nazarbayev in Zheleznovodsk, Russia on September 23, 1991 with an intention to end the...