Armenians , Azeris hold peace talks in Germany .
BONN 1996-08-30
Representatives from Armenia and Azerbaijan held talks earlier this week in Germany on bringing a lasting peace to the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region , a diplomatic source close to the talks said on Friday .
The source , who spoke on condition of anonymity , said Azerbaijani presidential adviser Vafa Gulizade and his Armenian counterpart Zhirayr Liparityan met to discuss the disputed enclave on Wednesday and had now flown home .
An uneasy ceasefire has prevailed in Nagorno-Karabakh , which represents around 20 percent of Azeri territory , since May 1994 after ethnic Armenians drove Azeris out of the region .
The conflict , which began in 1988 , claimed over 10,000 lives .
" The main subject ( of the talks ) was the search for a peaceful solution for Nagorno-Karabakh , " the source said .
He declined to reveal any more details about the content of the talks or their exact location in Germany .
Azerbaijan has said it is prepared to grant autonomy to Nagorno-Karabakh if Armenian forces pull out , but will not accept Armenia 's demands for the independence of the enclave .
Russia 's Interfax news agency reported on Tuesday the officials had departed for negotiations in Germany , adding that face-to-face talks between the two sides first took place last December in Amsterdam .
Interfax said the discussions were being held in parallel with peace talks mediated by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe ( OSCE ) and the broad-based Minsk Group of countries led by Russia and Finland .