SELF-PROCLAIMED REPUBLIC LEADER DOES NOT EXPECT ‘SPEEDY CONFLICT SETTLEMENT’

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Sept 7 2005

Baku, September 6, AssA-Irada — Leader of the self-proclaimed
Upper Garabagh Republic Arkadi Gukasian has said he does not expect
the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Upper Garabagh to be settled
soon. Gukasian told a news conference held jointly with the OSCE
chairman-in-office, Slovenian foreign minister Dimitrij Rupel in
Yerevan on Tuesday that official Baku is refusing to compromise
on several issues. “The sides should take risks to settle the
conflict. You must give something to get something in return. But
Azerbaijan does not want to give anything.” Gukasian said, however,
that ‘Baku is adhering to a constructive position, unlike in previous
years’. Rupel highly assessed the ongoing talks on the resolution of
the Garabagh problem. He said that the OSCE does not back either party
to the conflict, as the organization is a partner of both countries
and its goal is to settle the conflict peacefully. The OSCE chairman
cited some progress in the negotiations, saying that efforts in this
area should be continued.*