Armenia Says Aliyev Election Win Best For Karabakh Settlement

Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian

Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian has said a victory by Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev in the country's October presidential election would be the best outcome for resolving the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.

In a statement, Sarkisian said "the negotiating process is active" and that Aliyev has the best chance of overcoming "Armenia-phobia" in Azerbaijan.

Nagorno-Karabakh is a region of Azerbaijan that is predominently ethnic Armenian and has been de facto independent since a war in the early 1990s.

Baku has said it might try to take the region back by force if the negotiating process does not yield results.

Aliyev is widely expected to win the October election.

International rights groups have accused the government of cracking down on civil society, independent media, and the political opposition in the run-up to the vote.


Based on reporting by AFP and Interfax