THE NEXT STOP OF THE NAGORNI KARABAKH QUESTION IS STAMBUL
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04:33 pm 16 March, 2006
“It is difficult to say that there was no progress in Ramboulle. We
try to find out our further steps concerning this problem. We saw
in Yerevan and in Baku that the sides are ready to go ahead,” the
Vice Secretary of the USA State department Daniel Fried and the
Co-president of the OSCE in the Minsk group Steven Mann informed
the journalists today after the meeting with Robert Kocharyan, the
Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Defense.
They came to Yerevan from Baku. “Our visit is aimed at discussing 3
questions – the current of the conflict of Nagorni Karabakh after
Ramboulle, the energy security of the territory, especially after
the gas price changes and to view the future of the Caucasus in the
territory after solving the conflicts of NK, Osia and Abkhazia,” said
Daniel Fried. Today Mr. Fried said that his announcement, that the
opinions of the USA and RF on the settlement of the conflict do not
match, was not understood properly. On the bases of Daniel Fried’s
announcement one can suppose that there are certain disagreements
between the co-presidents of the OSCE Minsk group on the issue of
the settlement of the NK conflict. “My words weren’t taken properly.
Before our visit to Baku and our arrival in Yerevan the ambassador
Mr. Steven Mann and I met the other presidents of the OSCE, consulted
with them and got their agreement. I must say that the co-presidents
fully support the settlement of the NK conflict,” said Mr. Fried. Today
Steven Mann refused to reject or accept the announcement of the Defense
Minister Serge Sargsyan in which the latter said as if Armenia has
nothing to do with the compromises of the NK conflict and now it is
Azerbaijan’s turn to go on compromises.
“What answer do you expect from me?” asked Mr. Mann and added, “I am
sure that the two sides will go on their negotiations and they both
want to settle the conflict.” As for the meeting of the OSCE Minsk
group Co-presidents, Mr. Mann said, “Please don’t attach political
importance to the choice. My next stop will simply be Ankara and I want
to inform my companions about the results of our visits. ” By the way,
during the meeting with the journalists the vice secretary of the USA
State Department mentioned that the USA and Europe continue to observe
the diversification issues of the energetic sources, especially of
the nuclear energy. “I have seen that people are mainly interested
in atom energy in Armenia. I shall arouse that question in Washington
and we shall work in its connection.”