OSCE MEDIATORS TO PRESENT NEW PROPOSALS TO AZERI, ARMENIAN LEADERS

Interfax-AVN military news agency website, Moscow
14 Apr 06

Yerevan, 14 April: The Russian, French and US co-chairmen of the
OSCE Minsk Group on the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagornyy
Karabakh are planning to present new ideas on a settlement and adapt
the negotiating format, the group’s French co-chairman Bernard Fassier
told reporters in Yerevan.

“In May, the three co-chairmen are planning to meet in Moscow in a
bid to work out joint proposals to be presented to the conflicting
parties,” Fassier said.

“When we speak about a possible new meeting of the Armenian and
Azerbaijani presidents, this means we are ready to present them
with new ideas on the Nagornyy Karabakh settlement and to expand the
already existing ones worked out beforehand,” he said.

New ideas will be suggested, but not a change of format, the French
diplomat said.

Talks on the Nagornyy Karabakh settlement will stay within the format
of the OSCE Minsk Group, he said.

“However, it is now possible to speak about adapting the current
negotiating format,” Fassier said, adding that the Minsk Group’s
co-chairmen would like to use every opportunity to pay both collective
and independent visits to the region.