RUPEL TO CONVEY ALIYEV’S MESSAGE TO KOCHARIAN

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|19:12:18 | 06-09-2005 | Politics |

During today’s joint press conference with Foreign Minister Vartan
Oskanian OSCE Chairman-in-Office Dimitrij Rupel reiterated that he
is to convey Ilham Aliyev’s message to Robert Kocharian.

When asked what kind of message it is Mr. Rupel said, “Presently I
cannot say anything. I’ll do it during the meeting with the Armenian
President”. He also noted that the closing of positions of Armenia
and Azerbaijan on Nagorno Karabakh is evident. “Though the positions
are close at the principal level they differ in details”, he noted.

In his turn Vartan Oskanian noted that “real problems will begin when
details are revealed. The journalists asked when the negotiations
within the Minsk Group format will start and when Karabakh will be
able to act as a party to conflict. Omitting the second part of the
question Mr. Rupel said, “The Minsk Group is lively, active and is
awaiting the Presidents’ instructions. The Co-Chairs also suggest
new ideas. Vartan Oskanian in his turn said, “When the President’s
proceed to details the necessity of restoration of the Minsk process
will arouse and at this stage Karabakh will join the negotiations.”

When asked by a foreign journalists whether the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
oil pipeline will impact on the Armenia-Azerbaijan negotiations,
Vartan Oskanian said, “I hope that Azerbaijan’s confidence will be
limited to economic development.”

When one of the Armenian reporters asked whether the outcome of the
referendum on constitutional amendments can influence the negotiation
process D. Rupel said that the constitutional reforms are carried
out with good intentions and proceed in the correct direction.”