MATTHEW BRYZA TO BE U.S. CO-CHAIR OF OSCE MINSK GROUP

Today, Azerbaijan
June 15 2006

Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian said on Thursday that Matthew
J. Bryza, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for European and
Eurasian Affairs, will co-chair the OSCE Minsk Group that mediates
between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Nagorno Karabakh.

Bryza will replace Ambassador Steven Mann as the U.S. co-chairman.

The Minsk Group is co-chaired by the United States, France, and Russia.

Armenian President Robert Kocharian and Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev held their latest round of talks on June 5 in Bucharest,
but no progress was reported.

Oskanian told RFE/RL that he met on June 13 in Paris with Azerbaijani
Foreign Minister Elmar Mammedyarov to try to narrow differences,
but failed to make progress.

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