MERZLYAKOV: “ARMENIA SHOWS GREAT INTEREST IN NEW PROPOSALS ON SOLUTION OF NK CONFLICT”

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
April 12 2006

The new proposals on settlement of Nagorno Garabagh conflict that the
co-chairs presented through the United States are about principles
of the settlement of the conflict. Russian co-chair of OSCE Minsk
Group Yuri Merzlyakov told APA exclusively.

Referring to his meeting with Armenia’s foreign minister Vardan
Oskanyan in Moscow on 5-7 April, the co-chair called it efficient and
constructive. Mr. Merzlyakov said that Oskanyan had been familiarized
with the new proposals in Washington before visiting Moscow. The
co-chair said Armenia shows a great interest in the new proposals.

Commenting on the US active participation in mediation after the
talks at Rambouillet, Merzlyakov said the main thing is not visiting
the region more often.

“Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev is due to have talks with US
President in late April but Russian President Vladimir Putin met
with Azerbaijani President following the talks at Rambouillet,”
the Russian co-chair emphasized.

Responding to the question whether the meeting between Azerbaijani
and Armenian Presidents will be organized within any international
and regional event or will be a special meeting, Merzlyakov said it
is early to speak about the meeting between the heads of state.

“According to the initial suggestion, the date and place of the
meeting should be agreed upon with the sides,” the co-chair said.

Merzlyakov also said that he will visit the region together with other
co-chairs by the first half of May and added he does not plan to pay
a visit by himself only.

Commenting on the question whether French co-chair Berdard Fassier’s
recent statement “current proposals can satisfy both sides 80 percent”
means that 80 percent of the occupied territories of Azerbaijan will
be liberated, the Russian co-chair said, “I cannot calculate how
much percent the future agreement will satisfy the sides. The main
thing is the sides realize impossibility of meeting their needs 100
percent. The main thing is not meeting one side’s needs 80 percent
and the other’s 20 percent. If the agreement satisfies both sides
50 percent, I would think I have fulfilled the mediation mission,”
the co-chair underlined.