Pan Armenian News

OSCE MG CO-CHAIRS TO MEET WITH ARMENIAN FM IN A EUROPEAN CITY

28.04.2005 06:33

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Yesterday of Azeri Foreign MInister Elmar Mamedyarov had a
recurrent meeting with Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (MG). The meeting
was held within the Prague process. Ambassadors Steven Mann (US), Yuri
Merzlyakov (russia) and Bernard Facier (France) discussed with the Azeri FM
elements of the Karabakh conflcit settlement, reported the 525 Baku
newspaper. After that the mediators will meet with Armenain FM Vartan
Oskanian. It should be reminded that the first private meeting of the
Co-Chairs with the FMs was held in London April 14-15. At the time the
Co-Chairs met with the Armenian Foreign MInister first, and the the Azeri
FM. After those consultations the time of the recurrent round of talks in
Frankfurt was adjusted. However, this time the Armenian FM did not go to
Frankfurt. As stated by Armenian Foreign Ministry Press Secretary Hamlet
Gasparian, there was no specific agreement on it. In his wrods, the venue
and time for the Co-Chairs to meet with the Armenian FM were not arranged.
MG Russian Ambassador Yuri Merzlyakov confirmed it, noting that after the
Frankfurt meeting the mediators will hold negotiations with the Amrenian FM
in a European city. The Russian Co-Chair also said the Ambassadors authored
the initiative of holding private talks with the FMs. In his words, this
format of talks allows more detailed acquaintance with the positions of the
parties and the degree of coincidence of the viewpoints over the details. In
the words of the Russian Ambassador, there are a range of issues that make
such a meeting necessary and the Co-Chairs want to discuss these questions
with state leaders. However, the talks being secret as before does not allow
to make judgements on the degree of rapprochement of the stands of the
parties. There were no statements on yesterday’s meeting. Only American
Ambassador Steven Mann said the mediators discuss a range of ideas with the
parties. Today the majority of observers consider that an important phase in
the Karabakh settlement process has begun and the US is distinguished for
its special activity at this stage. Besides, it is noted that during his
visit to Georgia May 10 the US President will make a statement over conflict
settlement in the South Caucasus and will put forward initiatives.