OSCE CHAIRMAN-IN-OFFICE WILL HOLD FOCUSED DISCUSSIONS ON SITUATION IN
NAGORNY KARABAKH

YEREVAN, MARCH 30. ARMINFO. Regional visit of OSCE Chairman-in-Office,
Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel to Armenia starts
today. OSCE informs ARMINFO that in Armenia, the Chairman-in-Office is
due to meet President Robert Kocharian, Prime Minister Andranik
Margarian and Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian, as well as the
Chairman of the National Assembly, Artur Baghdasaryan and the
political leader of Nagorno-Karabakh, Arkadi Ghoukasian. His trip
begins in Armenia today, before flying on to Kyrgyzstan in the
evening. In each of the countries, his talks are set to include
matters on the OSCE’s current political agenda and the further
development of democratic processes in the region. The visit also
provides Foreign Minister Rupel with the opportunity for focused
discussions with the leaders of several OSCE participating States in
the southern Caucasus on specific issues, such as the
Georgia-Abkhazia, Georgia-South Ossetia and Nagorno-Karabakh
conflicts, which have so far proved intractable. In Azerbaijan, where
Minister Rupel’s trip will end on Saturday, he will have meetings with
Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, the Speaker of the Mejlis
(Parliament) Murtuz Alaskarov, Prime Minister Arthur Rasizade and
President Ilham Aliyev.

To note, in his recent interview to ARMINFO, D.Rupel said that the
intention of the international community is to ensure a lasting and
above all peaceful settlement.” And the Co-Chairs of the Minsk Group
are working to promote negotiations that will lead to a lasting and
stable settlement. Their role is to mediate, not to arbitrate. A
solution depends on the political will of all the parties concerned.