Rapprochement the aim of OSCE mediators’ visit to Karabakh

Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
13 Jul 04

[Presenter] The co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group have arrived in
Stepanakert The negotiations with high-ranking officials of Artsakh
[Nagornyy Karabakh] ended a few hours ago. The co-chairmen have not
yet made any new proposals regarding the settlement of the Karabakh
conflict. The diplomats confirmed once again the conflicting sides’
positions.

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said that the
co-chairmen had gone to Nagornyy Karabakh with the consent of official
Baku.

[Corespondent from Stepanakert by phone] The co-chairmen consider that
each conflicting side thinks that time is working in their
favour. Yuriy Merzlyakov [Russia] noted that the delay is complicating
the solution of the conflict. The co-chairmen said that today the
Expanded Europe programme will allow the settlement process to be
speeded up. Henry Jacolin [France] noted that Azerbaijan and Armenia
cannot use this programme until the conflict is settled and, by not
using this programme, they will fall behind in general development. At
the same time the co-chairmen noted that the OSCE Minsk Group does not
have the power to force the sides to accept this or any other
decision. The aim of this mission is to bring the sides closer
together.

Representatives of Karabakh non-governmental organizations, presenting
Artsakh’s position, said that the OSCE Minsk Group’s mediation efforts
to hold negotiations without the Karabakh side will be
unsuccessful. They presented proposals on establishing economic
cooperation between the sides, which would transform the problem. They
also noted that disappointment is felt in society with the OSCE Minsk
Group’s mission. The co-chairmen replied this that is natural, as they
have not reached any concise results in their 10-12 years of work.