Baku Today, Azerbaijan
May 30 2005

French co-chair denies Armenia’s responsibility for ceasefire
breaches

30/05/2005 05:57

The French co-chair of the mediating OSCE Minsk Group Bernard Fassier
has denied Armenia’s responsibility for breaching ceasefire on the
frontline.

`Do you think the ceasefire is violated only by Armenia? You are
wrong,’ he told a news conference at the French embassy in Baku on
Friday.

Fassier said that ceasefire breaches jeopardize peace talks and the
conflicting sides should `prepare their countries for compromises
instead of making acute statements’.

The co-chair mentioned that he was an officer in the French army for
25 years prior to becoming a diplomat, which played an important in
role in terms of his present activity. `War is the worst way out’, he
said, emphasizing that France supports a peaceful conflict
resolution.

`The co-chairs can only provide advice and will not solve the problem
instead of the conflicting sides. Both countries believe that the
Minsk Group is to blame if nothing happens. But progress has not been
achieved so far because the sides have not been ready for this.’

Fassier visited Azerbaijan to attend the opening ceremony of the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan main export pipeline on May 25 and to fulfil his
duties in the capacity of the French co-chair.

Fassier said that his meeting with Azeri Defense Minister Safar
Abiyev on Thursday, of familiarization nature, was efficient. The
co-chair added that during his future visits to the country, he plans
to meet with the parliament speaker and MPs, as well as the public
and leaders of religious organizations.