Yuri Merzlyakov: "Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers will not meet in New York"

Today.Az
21 September 2006 [10:22] – Today.Az

Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers Elmar Mammadyarov and
Vartan Oskanian will not have talks on the settlement of the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict during the 61st session of the UN General Assembly
in New York.

The ministers will meet with the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group
separately. Russian co-chair of the Minsk Group Yuri Merzlyakov told
the APA exclusively.

Commenting on the reasons to the failure to organize the ministers’
meeting, the co-chair said Armenian minister Vartan Oskanian warned
during his meeting with the co-chairs in Paris on September 12 that he
would refuse meeting with Elmar Mammadyarov if the "frozen conflicts"
are included into the agenda of the UN session.

"During our meeting with Mr. Mammadyarov in London on September 13 it
was reported that the General Committee of the Assembly did not include
the issue on unresolved conflicts that was offered by the GUAM. And
we agreed with Mr. Mammadyarov for the meeting of ministers in New
York. However, after that GUAM’s offer was discussed at UN General
Assembly’s plenary session and accepted by the vote. Following that,
Vartan Oskanian declared that he would not meet with Mammadyarov but
have talks with the co-chairs only," Mr.Merzlyakov said.

During the talks between the co-chairs and the foreign ministers in
Paris and London, it was agreed to arrange meeting of Mammadyarov
and Oskanian in New York on 25-26 September