Favorable conditions developed for settling Karabakh conflict – Minsk group

15.07.2004 12:20:00 GMT

Yerevan. (Interfax) – Favorable circumstances have been developed to
settle the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, said OSCE Minsk group
co-chairman Yury Merzlyakov.

“The co-chairmen think that we should take advantage of the favorable
situation that has currently developed, and if the Karabakh issue is
to be resolved, it should be done now,” Merzlyakov told a press
conference in Yerevan on Wednesday.

He said the fact that presidential elections in Azerbaijan and Armenia
have concluded creates a favorable situation for settling the
conflict. “The new aspect of the situation is that, after a 1.5 year
recess, the negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan have
restarted,” Merzlyakov said.

The French co-chairman of the Minsk Group, Henry Jacquelyn, said that
it would take time to achieve a long-term peace and settle the
conflict.

U.S. Minsk group co-chairman Stephen Mann said the main responsibility
for settling the conflict lies with the conflicting sides and the
Minsk group is ready to aid their efforts. For example, the question
of inviting Nagorno-Karabakh to negotiations is to be decided by the
conflicting sides themselves, he said.

Merzlyakov noted that “the Karabakh side signed the cease fire
agreement that has remained in effect from 1994 until today.”

Azerbaijan lost control over Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent areas in
bitter fighting with Armenia in the 1990s. The UN Security Council has
denounced the occupation of Azerbaijani lands and demanded the
withdrawal of Armenian troops from the area. Co-chairmen of the OSCE
Minsk group representing the United States, Russia and France are
attempting to help resolve the conflict.

The Minsk group’s co-chairmen also reported that the next meeting of
the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers will take place in
August, and the next negotiations between the two countries’
presidents will take place during the September summit of CIS
presidents in Astana.

The Minsk group co-chairmen will leave Yerevan for Baku on Thursday to
meet with Azerbaijani authorities.

The international mediators visited Stepanakert on July 13-14, where
they met with the authorities of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-
Karabakh.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress