PACE CALLS FOR FURTHER AZERI-ARMENIAN TALKS

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
April 11 2006

Baku, April 10, AssA-Irada
The Council of Europe supports the continuation of talks on settling
the Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict, the CE Parliamentary Assembly
president Rene van der Linden has said.

“Both countries are CE member states and we are interested in moving
the negotiating process forward,” Linden told a news conference
dedicated to the opening of the Assembly’s spring session on Monday.

He noted that no progress was achieved at the latest round of talks
between the Azeri and Armenian presidents at Rambouillet in February.

“But we believe that in the end, the sides should reach an accord on
a peaceful settlement.”

The PACE president ruled out the possibility of altering the current
format of the international mediating mission.

“We will await the completion of talks brokered by the OSCE Minsk
Group. But replacing the MG format with the Council of Europe mediation
would be inappropriate,” Linden said.