MEDIATOR CITES NEW PROPOSALS ON GARABAGH

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
April 18 2006

Baku, April 17, AssA-Irada
An international mediator says the OSCE Minsk Group brokering
settlement to the Upper (Garabagh) conflict has submitted proposals
to Azerbaijan and Armenia that have not been discussed so far.

“Official Baku and Yerevan are currently scrutinizing these options,”
the Russian co-chair of the OSCE MG, Yuri Merzlyakov, told Lider TV.

He said that although the co-chairs visit the region separately,
they share views on the conflict settlement.

“Our current proposals are new, as they have not been comprehensively
discussed yet. I can’t say how they will be accepted. But this is
not an accord of any kind yet. Some work remains to be done to reach
general agreement,” the diplomat said, noting that a given element may
suit one side and be rejected by the other. “Therefore, such elements
should be dealt with in a subtle and thorough way,” Merzlyakov added.