PRESS RELEASE

Azat Artsakh Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
09 Sept 05

Late in the evening of September 5th the president o NKR Arkady
Ghukassian met with the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, the foreign minister
of Slovenia Dimitrij Rupel who had just arrived in Yerevan from
Baku. This was their second meeting this year. Mr. Rupel reasserted
the standpoint of the OSCE to reach a rapid resolution of the Karabakh
conflict preventing resumption of war. He said his meetings with the
Azerbaijani government in Baku prove that the Azerbaijani side adopted
a constructive standpoint. According to Dimitrij Rupel, the atmosphere
around the talks is positive, which may enable the parties to move
ahead. President Ghukassian noticed that although the Karabakh party
is acquainted with the content of the meetings of the presidents of
Armenia and Azerbaijan. However, as it does not take part in the talks
directly, it judges about the atmosphere by the statements of the
parties. The president of Nagorno Karabakh Republic emphasized that
the government of Azerbaijan is again making militaristic statements
after the recent meeting in Kazan and defies any contact with Nagorno
Karabakh, which means that Azerbaijan, in fact, is not ready for a
resolution based on compromise. Arkady Ghukassian mentioned that the
participation of Karabakh in the talks, as well as direct contact
between the societies of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan will enable
to create an atmosphere of trust between the sides. The president said
Nagorno Karabakh Republic is ready to assume responsibility for the
future of the state and the people and walks its way, anticipating the
same from Azerbaijan.

AA.
09-09-2005