HIGH-RANKING US OFFICIAL TO SUCCEED GARABAGH MEDIATOR

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Posted June 19 2006

Baku, June 16, AssA-Irada
US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian
Affairs Matthew Bryza will succeed Steven Mann as the American co-chair
of the OSCE Minsk Group mediating settlement to the Armenia-Azerbaijan
Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict, says Armenian Foreign Minister
Vardan Oskanian. He said the new appointment must be approved by the
OSCE Permanent Council at its meeting in Vienna next week.

Oskanian did not rule out that the diplomat will visit the region
after being approved for the post.

Touching on the latest meeting between Azeri and Armenian foreign
ministers in Paris, Oskanian said the discussions targeted seeking a
common approach to the issues that were not agreed during the prior
meeting between the two leaders in Bucharest. "I can’t say that we
achieved the goal. However, the meeting was beneficial and the talks
will be continued."

The Armenian minister said it is premature to talk about the next
meeting of the two presidents, as it would be futile in the absence
of any rapprochement between the positions of the conflicting sides.

The latest talks between the two leaders in Bucharest and Rambouillet
did not produce any results.

Political analyst, director of the Center of Political Innovation
and Technologies, Mubariz Ahmadoglu, praised the new appointment. "As
I understand, Matthew Bryza knows the region just as well as Steven
Mann. He has repeatedly visited Azerbaijan and Armenia. His attitude
toward Azerbaijan could be considered objective," he told AssA-Irada.

The expert said that greater hopes should be bound with Bryza than
his predecessor, considering his higher status.

"Mann used to come here and hold meetings and then report to the US
Department of State. These reports, along with others, then reached
Matthew Bryza. The latter, however, is able to keep in touch directly
with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice."

Ahmadoglu said that Russia and France will soon replace their co-chairs
with more high-ranking officials as well.

"It is very likely that co-chairing counties will set up a group of
low-profile diplomats. The taskforce will be permanently working in
the region," the analyst added.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress