ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS NO MORE COMPROMISES ON KARABAKH

Mediamax news agency
5 Apr 06

Yerevan, 5 April: “If Azerbaijan shows the necessary political will,
we will move the talks forward and reach significant progress within
the coming months,” Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan told a
joint news conference with the EU special envoy for the South Caucasus,
Peter Semneby, in Yerevan today.

“The most difficult issues still remain unresolved, but Armenia has
already made its compromises and it is not worth hoping for more
concessions,” the minister said.

Vardan Oskanyan noted that there was still hope that agreement could
be reached on the principles of the Karabakh conflict settlement in
2006. “If we fail to achieve agreement this year, this will not be
doomsday,” he said.

The Armenian foreign minister noted that most likely there would
be some clarity about further steps in the peace process after a
meeting of Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov with the
US co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group, Steven Mann, in Washington
in a few days.

“I met Steven Mann last week. He is aware of our position. If there is
some closeness of positions between the sides after the meeting with
the Azerbaijani foreign minister, then the mediators might visit the
region. After this the two countries’ foreign ministers will meet,”
Vardan Oskanyan said.

The Armenian foreign minister noted that the Karabakh settlement was
the main topic at his talks with Peter Semneby today.