NEW US COCHAIRMAN IN MINSK GROUP UNVEILS BASIC PRINCIPLES OF FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT

Armenpress

YEREVAN, JUNE 23, ARMENPRESS: A senior US diplomat, appointed
recently to help Armenia and Azerbaijan to narrow their differences
and achieve a mutually acceptable peace formula for resolution of
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, unveiled the basic principles of how
to end the opposition, developed by international peace brokers,
Trend news agency said quoting RFE/RL.

Mathew Bryza, a deputy US assistant secretary of state for European
and European affairs, who was appointed to replace Steven Mann, the
former US cochairman in the OSCE Minsk group, said in an exclusive
interview with RFE/RL that there is a framework agreement that calls
for withdrawal of Armenian troops from the regions which belong
to Azerbaijan.

He said the framework agreement also envisages normalization of
diplomatic and economic relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan,
deployment of international peacemaking troops, as well as
international economic assistance to Nagorno-Karabakh.

"In fact this a package proposal put on the table." he was quoted
as saying. According to Bryza, the agreement foresees, some time in
future, a referendum on Nagorno-Karabakh status.

RFE/RL said Bryza refused to detail what was the main stumbling block
keeping the presidents of both countries from giving their accord. In
his interview Bryza urged the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to
accept the agreement.

"We encourage the presidents to accept the framework agreement,
which requires political courage," he said.