ARMENIA SAYS IT MAY UNVEIL DETAILS OF LAST THREE KARABAKH CONFLICT RESOLUTION OPTIONS
Armenpress
Jun 26 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 26, ARMENPRESS: Armenian authorities have reacted to
an interview by Mathew Bryza, the new US cochairman of the OSCE
Minsk Group, to the RFE/RL in which he disclosed what the RFE/RL
said were the basic principles of a framework agreement, developed
by international peace-brokers for resolution of the Karabakh conflict.
Bryza’s interview was followed by Azerbaijani president Ilham
Aliyev’s remarks that the efforts of international mediators to
resolve the dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh were "hopeless". He was
quoted by Azerbaijani news agencies as saying that Azerbaijan was
ready only to negotiate the restoration of its sovereignty over
Nagorno-Karabakh. Aliyev further said the failure of international
mediation was forcing him to change policy. He said Azerbaijan would
retake Nagorno-Karabakh by whatever means it takes. Aliyev also warned
Armenia that he would use Azerbaijan’s rapidly expanding oil wealth
to strengthen the armed forces.
Viktor Soghomonian, a spokesman for Armenian president Robert
Kocharian, said in response to these reports. "Provisions of an
agreement unveiled by Mr. Bryza are only some elements of a document
that is proposed to the sides, which naturally, do not reflect the core
of the draft agreement, nut have caused the emergence of irrelevant
comments. In any event, if similar revelations continue to appear in
mass media the Armenian side will expose the content of all documents
which had been discussed during the talks in the last 7-8 years-from
the draft agreement based on the principle of ‘common state’, the
option that was discussed in Key West and the latest option that
was put on the table when Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents met in
Bucharest. I am confident that this will make all things clear. By the
way, all three conflict regulation options were rejected by Azerbaijan.
As regards Azerbaijani president Aliyev’s remarks, we do not
think it appropriate to comment on his repeated statements." In an
interview with RFE/RL Mathew Bryza, a senior US diplomat, appointed
recently to replace Steven Mann in the Minsk group, said there is a
framework agreement that calls for withdrawal of Armenian troops from
the regions which belong to Azerbaijan. He said it 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 .
According to Bryza, the agreement foresees, some time in future,
a referendum on Nagorno-Karabakh status. 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.