OSCE BELIEVES PROGRESS IN KARABAKH ISSUE POSSIBLE BEFORE YEAREND

PanARMENIAN.Net
13.09.2006 14:17 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ OSCE Minsk Group mediators have set an exact task
of resuming the talks. "They believe that it is still possible to
make some additional progress before the end of this year or before
our parliamentary elections [due early next year] at the latest,"
Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian told RFE/RL. In his words,
the mediators are trying to arrange a meeting of the Armenian and
Azerbaijani foreign ministers as soon as possible. Oskanian noted
that there are two major issues: firstly, the core problems over the
principles in the document on the bargaining table should be revealed
in order to focus on these. Secondly, the problem of deviation from
the course of the talks by Azerbaijan.

Touching upon the possible meeting of Armenian and Azeri Presidents
in Minsk at the CIS Leaders’ Summit on October 17, Oskanian said,
"Speaking of it is still early," indicating that the time for
speaking about it will be only after the meeting of the Ministers,
"the meeting of the Presidents should be held only in case there are
more real opportunities for attaining additional progress."

The possible meeting of Armenian and Azeri FMs was also a
point discussed at the meeting with the co-chairs, Oskanian
informed. "However, the terms were too preliminary," he added. "The
next place, where we will possibly be, is New York. We will be there,
we will take part in the UN GA session. I do not rule out that if
the co-chairs decide and we agree, we will meet in New York. However,
there is not concrete communication yet," Oskanian stated.