ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
July 11, 2005 Monday 7:38 AM Eastern Time

Karabakh settlement talks with OSCE Minsk Group begin in Baku

By Viktor Shulman

BAKU

Issues related to the opening of transport services between
Azerbaijan and Armenia via the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, as well
as matters related to the return of displaced persons to their
permanent residence places were high on the agenda of talks held at
the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry with co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk
Group – Yuri Merzlyakov (Russia), Bernard Fassier (France) and Steven
Mann (the United States) on Monday, head of the Azerbaijani community
of Nagorno-Karabakh Nizami Bakhmanov told reporters.

According to Bakhmanov, “The issue of displaced (Azerbaijani) persons
is the main one, as it is impossible to solve the issue of the
region’s status without their return to Nagorno-Karabakh.”

In the view of the official, “There is progress in the negotiating
process.” He said, “We hope the public will be really informed about
it after a meting of the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia in
Kazan on August 26, within the framework of the CIS summit.”

Bakhmanov believes on the whole, “A stage-by-stage settlement of the
Karabakh conflict is possible,” however stressed that this process
will be real after occupied territories of Azerbaijan are freed.

Bakhmanov pointed out the co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group “have
many proposals and ideas for the conflict settlement and they will
discuss them today with Azerbaijani President Ilkham Aliyev.”

The Russian representative of the OSCE Minsk Group believes it is
premature so far to speak about the details of the talks in Baku.

According to Merzlyakov, “many various matters were discussed” at a
meeting with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov that
lasted for more than two hours and “their discussion will be
continued today with President Aliyev.”

The Russian official believes in general “there are certain positive
moments in the settlement” process.