ELECTION IN AZERBAIJAN THEORETICALLY WILL NOT IMPEDE KARABAKH SETTLEMENT

Pan ARMENIAN Network, Armenia
July 16 2005

15.07.2005 09:32

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The referendum on adoption of amendments to the
Constitution in Armenia and the parliamentary election in Azerbaijan
theoretically will not influence the talks on settlement of the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict, however I cannot say what will actually
happen. Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej
Kaspzyk stated this at a news conference in Yerevan. In his turn,
OSCE Minsk Group Russian Co-Chair Yuri Merzlyakov said the meeting
with Armenian President R. Kocharian was substantial and open and
details of the approaches of the parties to solution of the issue
were discussed during the conversation. In his words, for 2 months the
Co-Chairs try to work out wordings of basic principles of the future
settlement. Progress over some issues is available, while others need
further elaboration. He also said that OSCE MG Co-Chairs have met
with Nagorno Karabakh President A. Ghukasyan during each visit to the
region. In his words, these meetings are always interesting. Knowing
and taking into account the posture of NK is important to the mediators
when working over the wordings. Answering a question on issues the
parties have come to agreement, Merzlyakov remarked in their work
the Co-Chairs observe confidentiality principle and added the parties
discuss elements of the settlement foundations at the moment.