ITAR-TASS, Russia
April 21 2004

Germany interested in stable South Caucasus

BAKU, April 21 (Itar-Tass) — German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer
said his country was interested in a stable South Caucasus.

Speaking at a press conference after talks with his Azerbaijani
counterpart Elmar Mamedyarov on Wednesday, Fischer called for
resolving the Karabakh conflict as soon as possible.

`Being a member of the OSCE Minsk Group, Germany, as an international
partner, is trying to contribute to the resolution of this conflict,’
he said.

Fischer and Mamedyarov had discussed bilateral economic and cultural
cooperation, the fight against terrorism, regional security, the
upcoming NATO summit in June, and democratic processes in Azerbaijan.

The German foreign minister said his country was ready to `assist
Azerbaijan in every way to ensure its democratic development.’

In his words, the European Union is actively discussing a new concept
of neighbourhood with the South Caucasus countries. `Compliance with
the Council of Europe’s human rights requirements and the
implementation of economic reforms are an important condition of
cooperation between the European Union and countries in the region,
including Azerbaijan,’ he said.

In the evening, Fischer is due to meet with President Ilkham Aliyev.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress