ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
April 8, 2004 Thursday

Karabakh crisis should be settled by compromise, dialogue – CE

By Sevindzh Abdullayeva and Viktor Shulman

BAKU

Council of Europe Secretary-General Walter Schwimmer said the
Karabakh conflict should be settled on the basis of compromise and
dialogue.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Schwimmer said the
Karabakh problem is a problem for all Europe and not only for
Azerbaijan,

Armenia and the region.

The CE secretary-general stressed that the conflict affected over one
million Europeans – Azerbaijani and Armenian refugees.

He noted that the Council of Europe was ready to help the OSCE Minsk
Group search for ways to settle the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. He
is convinced that it is possible to solve the problem on the
principles of humanism, through compromise and dialogue.

Schwimmer recognised that it was very difficult to reach a
compromise. At the same time, he pointed out that there was no
alternative to the peaceful settlement of the conflict.

The CE secretary-general called on the sides to refrain from mutual
accusations. This will not lead to peace, he said, adding that the
return of refugees was one of priority tasks.