ATMOSPHERE IS FAVOURABLE

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
18 July 05

The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs visited Artsakh in the framework of
the settlement of the Karabakh conflict. On June 13 NKR President
Arkady Ghukassian met with Youri Merzlyakov (Russia), Stephen Mann
(USA) and Bernard Fassier (France). Last time the co-chairs were in
Artsakh in February. After the meeting, which lasted for 2 hours,
the co-chairs gave a press conference. It should be noted that on
the whole the co-chairs were satisfied with the meetings in Baku and
Stepanakert. However, during the press conference they did not open
the brackets and did not give definite answers to such questions
as the expression of the nation’s right for self-determination
through a referendum; they neither agreed nor disagreed. Naturally,
as Youri Merzlyakov said regarding a question, it is typical of
diplomacy. In answer to the question what the reason for the optimism
of Goran Lennmarker about the golden chance to resolve the Karabakh
conflict is Merzlyakov said, “It is difficult to say what Mr.
Lennmarker relied on. You have, probably, read his report. We the
co-chairmen can tell that having a definite basis, because after the
top-level meetings (between the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan,
as well as the meeting of the foreign ministers of the two countries)
organized by the Minsk Group co-chairmen there are reassuring points,
positive tendencies in the statements of the both parties.” As to the
adoption of a document by the conflict sides, the three co-chairs
expressed their opinions, completing one another. According to Mr.
Merzlyakov, if a joint statement of the parties is meant, then they
have come quite close to that. And if the agreement on the resolution
of the Karabakh conflict is meant, the parties are very far from
that. “Drawing up an agreement requires months of hard work,” said
Youri Merzlyakov. According to the American co-chair Stephen Mann,
there are many complicated and unsettled points on which the parties
cannot reach an agreement. He said there is certain progress but
the parties did not agree to any of the viewpoints. For his part
Bernard Fassier pointed out the atmosphere of the talks. According
to the French co-chair, the positive aspects of the talks are the
new climate and spirit which enable to decide the principles of
the future agreement. In reference to the recent information in the
mass media that a referendum may become the key to the resolution
of the Karabakh issue Youri Merzlyakov said, “I have heard about a
publication on the referendum. The question, however, should not be
given to us. We the mediators keep to the arrangement of the parties
concerning the confidentiality of questions discussed and we stick to
this. If there was a leak of some statement through an unknown person,
try to trace to the party who did that.” In reference to the meeting
with the NKR president Youri Merzlyakov mentioned that the meeting was
interesting and effective and will have a continuation. “We hope to get
the answers to some questions which occurred to us during the process
of resolution from Arkady Ghukassian. We want to share our ideas, our
experience, since this is the first visit after nearly six months. At
that time we dealt with a question other than the resolution. We need
to see in retrospect how the cards were arranged. This is the aim of
our visit. And the talk with Arkady Ghukassian was rather effective
and interesting,” said the Russian co-chair. On June 14 the OSCE
Minsk Group co-chairmen left for Yerevan.

LAURA GRIGORIAN. 18-07-2005