OSCE CHAIRMAN HOLDS TALKS IN BAKU

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Sept 6 2005

Baku, September 5, AssA-Irada
The Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Upper Garabagh, the upcoming
parliament elections in the country and Azeri-Slovenian relations
were in focus during OSCE chairman-in-office, Slovenian Foreign
Minister Dimitrij Rupel’s meetings in Baku on Monday. Rupel met
with President Ilham Aliyev, foreign minister Elmar Mammadyarov,
as well as representatives of political parties and non-governmental
organizations. The OSCE chairman told a news briefing held jointly
with minister Mammadyarov that the results of the recent meeting
of Azeri and Armenian presidents in the Russian Volga river city
of Kazan are being analyzed by the mediating OSCE Minsk Group. “The
positions of the sides should be brought closer stage by stage.” Rupel
noted that talks should continue to achieve this. Touching upon the
parliament elections, the OSCE chairman said international observers
bear a great deal of responsibility in this respect. Over 1,000 OSCE
observers will monitor the poll in November, he said. Rupel also
touched upon future expansion of Azeri-Slovenian ties and steps to
be taken for the Azerbaijani President’s visit to Slovenia.*