OSCE rapporteur rules out change in format of Karabakh talks, pledges support

Trend news agency
21 Jan 05

BAKU

“There cannot be any talk about the change in the format of the
negotiations for Nagornyy Karabakh. Just auxiliary forces from the
conflicting parties should be involved in the negotiation process. It
may be done at the level of both special experts and parliamentarians,”
a report prepared by the special envoy of the OSCE Parliamentary
Assembly on the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict, Goran Lennmarker,
said. Trend obtained the document from the OSCE headquarters in
Vienna.

Lennmarker regretted the fact that the continuation of the conflict
had a negative impact on the communities, especially on the living
standards of refugees and IDPs. The envoy hopes that the renewal of
the peace process will accelerate achievement of stability in the
region. The document also says that the OSCE is interested in
“increasing the spirit of negotiations” between Azerbaijan and
Armenia: “We are ready to provide every support for the continuation
of the dialogue.”

At the same time it says that the intervention of international
mediators, including the OSCE, only is “an impact from outside” and
not of a great significance for the peace talks.

“The resolution of the conflict depends solely on the attitude of
Azerbaijan and Armenia to the issue,” Lennmarker said, highly
appreciating the dialogue at the level of foreign ministers and
presidents.

Lennmarker has many times proposed to hold meetings between
Azerbaijani and Armenian parliamentarians, but it [this idea] failed.

The report will be discussed at the session of the OSCE Parliamentary
Assembly in the middle of this year.