Kremlin considers Astana talks on Karabakh to be useful
By Viktoria Sokolova

ITAR-TASS News Agency
September 15, 2004 Wednesday

ASTANA, September 15 — The Kremlin has described Thursday’s trilateral
talks between the presidents of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan as
“useful and constructive”.

“The talks can be called useful and constructive,” a Kremlin
administration source said after Vladimir Putin, Robert Kocharyan and
Ilkham Aliev ended their talks in Astana. “The main thing is clear:
the sides are determined to continue a dialogue and search for a
compromise. It’s an open secret that an extremely complicated and
long-standing problem (of Nagorno-Karabakh) is in question. Its
solution requires time, series efforts and mutual concessions,”
he stressed.

“Aliev and Kocharyan are set to search for a political solution to
the Karabakh knot,” the source went on to say. The fact that the
Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents reaffirmed their commitment to
the ceasefire obligations is an important sign, he added.

“Such a mood inspires hopes that a line is going to be drawn under
this conflict despite its complex nature,” the source told Itar-Tass.

Russia has pledged to render assistance to the settlement process
together with the two other co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group-
the United States and France.

“Russia is ready to support an option that will suit all the parties
involved and provide guarantees for mutually-acceptable agreements.
Such an approach has been welcomed,” the Kremlin administration
source emphasized.