Steven Mann: Garabagh conflict may be settled by year-end
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
July 18 2005
Baku, July 15, AssA-Irada — The Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over
Upper Garabagh may be settled by the year-end, the US co-chair of
the mediating OSCE Minsk Group told a news conference in Yerevan.
“Major progress is observed in the conflict resolution over the past
year, which enables a conclusion that the conflict will be settled by
the year-end. But we do not know for certain that this will happen.”
Russian co-chair Yuri Merzlyakov said the parties are currently
trying to work out the ‘elements’ forming the basis of the conflict
resolution.
“The parties have compromised indeed and real opportunities came
about for the conflict settlement.”
The French mediator Bernard Fassier said the upcoming parliamentary
elections in Azerbaijan and a referendum due in Armenia should not
affect the negotiating process ‘in theory’, but it is unknown whether
this will be the case ‘in practice’.*