Clinton offered Aliyev a meeting with Obama

Azerbaijani President ?lham Aliyev decided to boycott the Istanbul summit of the Alliance of Civilizations in reaction to a Turkish-Armenian reconciliation, prior to a breakthrough on the problem of Daqliq Qarabaq, Turkish Hurriyyet newspaper writes.

President Abdullah G?l called Aliyev last Friday, but failed to change his mind on the summit. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also called Aliyev to convince him to come to Istanbul. Clinton’s message that he would have a meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama, who will be in Istanbul during the summit, was not enough to convince Aliyev.

Turkey and Armenia are on the verge of signing a protocol laying out a timetable for the normalization of relations, which includes establishing diplomatic relations and opening the borders. Turkey closed its borders with Armenia in 1993 when the latter occupied Daqliq Qarabaq, an Azeri territory under Armenia’s occupation, as well as seven regions surrounding the mountainous enclave. Aliyev is said to be angry at the fact that the opening of the borders is no longer directly and clearly tied to the Armenian withdrawal from occupied Azeri territories.

The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Daqliq Qarabaq began in 1988 as the result of territorial claims by Armenia against Azerbaijan. Between 1988 – 1994, Armenia occupied 20% of the Azerbaijani lands including the Daqliq Qarabaq and its seven neighboring regions. In 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement.

Azerbaijan will be represented at the above mentioned summit by the delegation headed by Hidayat Orujov, chairman of the State Committee on Work with Religious Organizations. The delegation also includes Deputy Tourism Minister, an MFA official, Deputy Education Minister, etc.

/ANS-Press/