KAREL DE GUCHT SAYS BELGIAN CHAIRMANSHIP, MINSK GROUP TO CONTINUE DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO REGISTER PROGRESS IN KARABAKH CONFLICT REGULATION PROCESS

Armenpress
Aug 22 2006

YEREVAN, AUGUST 22, ARMENPRESS: OSCE Chairman-in-Office Karel De
Gucht told in an interview to Armenpress news agency that the Belgian
Chairmanship, in co-operation with the co-chairmen of the Minsk group,
will continue doing everything possible to move the Karabakh conflict
regulation process forward.

"There seemed to be a window of opportunity earlier this year for the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. However, the meetings of the presidents
of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Paris and Bucharest failed to confirm
that opportunity. It will take time and a lot of wisdom and courage
on the parts of both presidents to overcome them," Karel De Gucht said.

Speaking about the military regulation of the conflict OSCE
Chairman-in-Office said "The international community, the OSCE and
the co-chairs of the Minsk group, all want a peaceful settlement of
the issue. Statements that go against this line and call for military
solutions are not helpful. I hope parties realize that a military
scenario would be a disaster not only for the parties, but for the
population and especially for the region as a whole. The international
community will judge severely the party that resorts to violence,"
the Chairman-in-Office said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress