OSCE CHAIRMAN IN OFFICE ABOUT POSSIBILITY OF KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT IN 2006

Yerevan, May 23. ArmInfo. In an interview to RFE/RL OSCE Chairman in
Office, Belgian Foreign Minister Karel de Gucht says that he is not
pessimistic but is not excessively optimistic about the possibility
of the Karabakh conflict settlement this year.

He says that the OSCE is doing its best to bring the sides to
agreement. Sometimes the hope is strong sometimes not. De Gucht urges
Armenia and Azerbaijan to do all they can to reach agreement. All
depends on them while the OSCE and Belgium, as OSCE Chairman in Office,
can only help them in the matter.

De Gucht says that often there are some side obstacles to the
resolution of frozen conflicts. One of such obstacles to the Karabakh
peace process is the closed Armenian-Turkish border.

De Gucht is still optimistic in the matter. He says that unless one
is optimist he has nothing to do in the politics.