UNCLASSIFIED U.S. Department of State Case No. F-2008-02192 Doc No.

C17572191 Date: 01/10/2017 E 53

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ANHR-01 EB-01 HA-09 H-01 INRE-00 INR-01 10-19
LAB-04 L-03 MOFM-01 MOF-03 M-01 NRRC-01 NSAE-00
NSCE-00 01C-02 OMB-01 PA-01 PM-01 PRS-01 P-01
RP-10 SCT-03 SIL-01 SNP-01 SP-01 SR-01 SSO-00
SS-01 STR-18 TRSE-00 T-01 USIE-00 /093w
987648 241846Z /38
0 241845Z SEP 91
FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6248
INFO MOSCOW POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

C ONFIDENTIALSECTION 01 OF 02 MOSCOW 27332

DEPT. FOR P, C, S/P, HA, EUR/SOV

E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR

TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PHUM, UR
SUBJECT: ARMENIA, AZERBAYDZHAN SIGN NAGORNO-KARABAKH
AGREEMENT BROKERED BY YELTSIN AND NAZARBAYEV

REF: MOSCOW 26817

1. CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT.

SUMMARY

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2. REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GOVERNMENTS OF ARMENIA AND

AZERBAYDZHAN ON SEPTEMBER 24 SIGNED A JOINT
COMMUNIQUE ON THE SETTLEMENT OF THE LONG-STANDING
DISPUTE OVER NAGORNO-KARABAKH, THE ARMENIAN ENCLAVE
OF AZERBAYDZHAN. THE AGREEMENT WILL RESTORE LIMITED
SELF-GOVERNMENT TO THE REGION AND PROVIDES FOR THE
PULLOUT OF ALL TROOPS, INCLUDING SOVIET MVD TROOPS.
IN ADDITION, EACH SIDE HAS AGREED TO RELEASE ALL
PRISONERS ARRESTED DURING THE CONFLICT WITHIN TWO
WEEKS. THE AGREEMENT ALSO ESTABLISHED A COMMISSION,

REVIEW AUTHORITY: Geoffrey Chapman, Senior Reviewer

UNCLASSIFIED U.S. Department of State Case No. F-2008-02192 Doc No. C17572191 Date: 01/10/2017
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TO INCLUDE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

AND KAZAKHSTAN, WHICH WILL ENFORCE PROVISIONS OF THE
AGREEMENT. RUSSIAN PRESIDENT BORIS YEL'TSIN AND
KAZAKH PRESIDENT NURSULTAN NAZARBAYEV TRAVELED TO
BOTH CAPITALS LAST WEEK TO MEDIATE THE SETTLEMENT.
END SUMMARY.

ARMENIA, AZERBAYDZHAN AGREE TO N-K SETTLEMENT

3. ARMENIA AND AZERBAYDHZAN SIGNED A JOINT

COMMUNIQUE ON THE SETTLEMENT OF THEIR LONG-STANDING
DISPUTE OVER NAGORNO-KARABAKH, THE PREDOMINANTLY
ARMENIAN AREA OF AZERBAYDZHAN, FOLLOWING ALMOST
FOURTEEN HOURS OF NEGOTIATIONS IN THE SOUTHERN
RUSSIAN CITY OF ZHELEZNOVODSK. THE NEGOTIATIONS CAME
AFTER RUSSIAN PRESIDENT BORIS YEL'TSIN AND KAZAKH
PRESIDENT NURSULTAN NAZARBAYEV TRAVELED TO BOTH
CAPITALS AND TO NAGORNO-KARABAKH ITSELF IN AN EFFORT
TO MEDIATE THE CONFLICT.
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4. ACCORDING TO THE SOVIET PRESS, UNDER TERMS OF THE

AGREEMENT, BOTH ARMENIA AND AZERBAYDZHAN WILL
ESTABLISH DELEGATIONS TO CONDUCT BILATERAL
NEGOTIATIONS ON A PERMANENT BASIS UNTIL A FULL
RESOLUTION OF THE CONFLICT IS ACHIEVED. THE
AGREEMENT ALSO:

- CALLS FOR AN IMMEDIATE CEASE-FIRE;

- PROVIDES FOR A COMPLETE PULLOUT OF ALL TROOPS FROM

THE REGION, INCLUDING SOVIET MVD FORCES;

- REQUIRES EACH SIDE TO RELEASE ALL PRISONERS

ARRESTED DURING THE CONFLICT WITHIN THE NEXT TWO
WEEKS;

- RESCINDS ALL EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE ACTS WHICH

CONTRADICT THE USSR CONSTITUTION;

- REESTABLISHES LOCAL ORGANS OF EXECUTIVE POWER;

- PROVIDES FOR THE EVENTUAL RETURN OF THE DEPORTED

POPULATIONS;

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- REQUIRES THE DISARMAMENT OF ALL PARTIES; AND

- ESTABLISHES A JOINT KAZAKH-RUSSIAN OBSERVER

COMMISSION TO ENFORCE THE PROVISIONS OF THE AGREEMENT.

5. ACCORDING TO A SEPTEMBER 24 TASS REPORT, BOTH

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SIDES WOULD IMMEDIATELY ANNOUNCE A CEASE-FIRE, WHICH
BOTH REPUBLICS AGREE IS THE PRIME CONDITION FOR THE
BEGINNING OF LONG-TERM NEGOTIATIONS. BOTH SIDES ALSO
AGREED TO DISARM AND REMOVE ALL ILLEGAL ARMED FORCES
FROM THE CONFLICT ZONE WITHIN TWO DAYS. HOWEVER, A
DUTCH DIPLOMAT TOLD POLMINCOUNS ON SEPTEMBER 24 THAT
A CONTACT IN GORIS, ARMENIA, CLAIMED THAT FIGHTING
CONTINUED EARLY ON SEPTEMBER 24.

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ACTION EUR-01

INFO LOG-00 ADS-00 AID-01 AMAD-01 CIAE-00 C-01 DODE-00

ANHR-01 EB-01 HA-09 H-01 INRE-00 INR-01 10-19
LAB-04 L-03 MOFM-01 MOF-03 M-01 NRRC-01 NSAE-00
NSCE-00 01C-02 OMB-01 PA-01 PM-01 PRS-01 P-01
RP-10 SCT-03 SIL-01 SNP-01 SP-01 SR-01 SSO-00
SS-01 STR-18 TRSE-00 T-01 USIE-00 /093w
9876DA 241852Z /38
0 241845Z SEP 91
FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6249

UNCLASSIFIED U.S. Department of State Case No. F-2008-02192 Doc No. C17572191 Date: 01/10/2017
UNCLASSIFIED U.S. Department of State Case No. F-2008-02192 Doc No. C17572191 Date: 01/10/2017

INFO MOSCOW POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

CONF IDEN T I AL SECTION 02 OF 02 MOSCOW 27332

DEPT. FOR P, C, SIP, HA, EUR/SOV

E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR

TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PHUM, UR
SUBJECT: ARMENIA, AZERBAYDZHAN SIGN NAGORNO-KARABAKH
AGREEMENT BROKERED BY YELTSIN AND NAZARBAYEV

6. THE AGREEMENT ALSO PROVIDES FOR THE GRADUAL

RESTORATION OF CONSTITUTIONAL BODIES OF AUTHORITY AND
GOVERNMENT IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH BEFORE JANUARY 1,
1992. ARMENIAN PRESIDENT LEVON TER-PETROSYAN HAS
PREVIOUSLY STATED THAT ARMENIA WOULD BEGIN
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NEGOTIATIONS WITH AZERBAYDZHAN ONLY AFTER THE
RESTORATION OF THE PREVIOUS "STATUS QUO" IN THE
AREA. HOWEVER, AZERI PRESIDENT AYAZ MUTALIBOV HAS
INSISTED HE WOULD IMMEDIATELY ANNUL ANY AGREEMENT
WHICH CONTAINED SUCH A PROVISION (REFTEL.)

7. IN A PRESS CONFERENCE IN YEREVAN SEPTEMBER 22

PRIOR TO THE BEGINNING OF THE TALKS, YELTSIN TOLD
REPORTERS THEIR DISCUSSIONS IN BAKU AND IN
STEPANAKERT, THE ADMINISTRATIVE CENTER OF
NAGORNO-KARABAKH, HAD BEEN "STORMY." OTHER SOURCES
INDICATED AZERI PRESIDENT MUTALIBOV HAD AT FIRST
REFUSED TO PERMIT YELTSIN AND NAZARBAYEV TO TRAVEL
TO STEPANAKERT AT ALL. HOWEVER, TER-PETROSYAN SAID
BOTH SIDES AGREED SEPTEMBER 22 THAT "A CONSTITUTIONAL
ORDER AND LEGITIMATE BODIES OF POWER SHOULD BE
RESTORED IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH."

COMMENT

8. SHOULD IT PROVE SUCCESSFUL, THE ACCORD WILL

UNDOUBTEDLY ENHANCE THE IMAGE OF ARMENIAN PRESIDENT
TER-PETROSYAN (ALREADY THE LEADING CANDIDATE IN
ARMENIA'S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OCTOBER 16) NOT TO
MENTION THE STATURE OF YELTSIN AND NAZARBAYEV.

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MUTALIBOV'S MOTIVES FOR SIGNING THIS COMMUNIQUE,

APPARENTLY AFTER MUCH DISAGREEMENT, ARE SOMEWHAT LESS
CLEAR. SOURCES SUGGEST MUTALIBOV IS NOW MORE
CONCERNED WITH INTERNAL OPPOSITION FORCES THAN WITH
THE DISPUTE WITH ARMENIA AND SPECULATE THIS MAY HAVE
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INFLUENCED HIS DECISION.

9. VALENTINA ALEKSANDROVNA DOMNINA (PROTECT), AN

RSFSR PEOPLE'S DEPUTY, TOLD POLOFF SEPTEMBER 24 THAT
MANY RUSSIAN DEPUTIES HAVE WONDERED WHY YEL'TSIN HAS
NOW AGREED TO MEDIATE THE CONFLICT. DOMNINA
SUGGESTED YEL'TSIN AND NAZARBAYEV ARE NOW THE ONLY
FIGURES WHO COMMAND THE "MORAL AUTHORITY" TO RESOLVE
SUCH A CONFLICT. INTERESTINGLY, RUBEN ZHUGAROV
(PROTECT), AN EXPERT TO THE ARMENIAN SUPREME
COUNCIL'S FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMISSION TOLD POLOFF
SEPTEMBER 22 THAT YEL'TSIN USED THE SAME TERMINOLOGY
TO DESCRIBE THE CONFLICT ITSELF, SAYING IT HAS NOW
BECOME A "MORAL ISSUE." YEL'TSIN MAY HAVE CHOSEN TO
MEDIATE THE CONFLICT IN AN EFFORT TO GAIN FAVORABLE
PRESS COVERAGE AND THUS DISTRACT SOME ATTENTION FROM
OTHER PROBLEMS AT HOME IN RUSSIA. HE IS ALSO KNOWN
TO BE LOOKING FOR A LASTING METHOD OF ETHNIC CONFLICT
RESOLUTION WHICH COULD PROVIDE A MODEL FOR RESOLUTION
OF SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITHIN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION.
FOREIGN DIPLOMATIC SOURCES ALSO SUGGEST YEL'TSIN AND
NAZARBAYEV, BY AGREEING TO MEDIATE THE CONFLICT,
HOPED TO PRESENT AN APPEARANCE OF UNITY TO OTHER
REPUBLICS, ESPECIALLY TO UKRAINE, THUS ENCOURAGING
OTHERS TO MOVE QUICKLY TO PRESERVE THE UNION.
COLLINS

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