CE OFFICIAL SAYS GARABAGH ACCORD ‘NEEDED FOR ENTIRE WORLD’

ASSA-IRADA, Azerbaijan
April 27 2006

Baku, April 26, AssA-Irada
The settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh
conflict would serve the interests of the entire world, Armenian
Mediamax news agency quoted the Council of Europe Secretary General
Terry Davis as saying.

Davis said he is closely following the ongoing peace talks and voiced
disappointment over the protracted conflict.

“It has been unfortunately impossible to settle it for a long time.

However, its settlement would benefit both Azerbaijan and Armenia,
and Upper Garabagh in particular,” he said.

Asked whether the CE plans to step up its role in the conflict
resolution, Davis said the international community had vested this
task in the OSCE Minsk Group (MG) brokering the peace process. “The
MG is currently working to achieve a solution. I wish success in this
respect to the Russian, French and American co-chairs.”

Touching upon cooperation in the South Caucasus, Davis said this
is always necessary, but conflicts flaring in the region are posing
obstacles for such interaction.