VISIT OF OSCE MG CO-CHAIRS IN REGION TO DETERMINE IF 2006 CRUCIAL FOR KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT: OSKANYAN

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
April 18 2006

YEREVAN, April 18. /ARKA/. Many reasons, including the visit of the
OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to the South Caucasus region will determine
if 2006 becomes crucial for settling the Karabakh conflict, Armenian
Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan told reporters.

“Obstacle negotiation will be possible in case of a successful visit
of the Co-Chairs to the conflict region in May. One cannot say that
the settlement process after Rambouillet got frozen,” Oskanyan said.

According to him, US OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair Steven Mann is to
visit Yerevan on 20 April, and the settlement process will go on.

Oskanyan also reported that a Russian delegation led by Vice Foreign
Minister of Russia Grigory Karasin is currently in Yerevan. “Anything
suspicious should not be observed in these visits, it is just a
coincidience,” Oskanyan said.