Lragir, Armenia
Oct 26 2006

NEW IDEAS ABOUT SETTLEMENT OF KARABAKH CONFLICT

The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, in fact, put forward new ideas about
the settlement of the conflict over Karabakh, stated the foreign
minister Vardan Oskanyan October 25 from the chair of the parliament.
He said that the co-chairs had offered these ideas on October 6,
during his meeting with Elmar Mammedyarov in Moscow. During the
meeting of the ministers and the co-chairs in Paris on October 24 the
conflict parties presented their standpoints concerning these new
ideas. Armenia also presented the standpoint of Karabakh, says Vardan
Oskanyan, reminding that before his visit to Paris he had visited
Stepanakert and met with the leadership of Karabakh.

The foreign minister of Armenia says that judging by the standpoints
presented during the meeting in Paris, there is no agreement on the
new ideas. But apparently there is hope, and the co-chairs decided to
try again in Brussels on November 14.

Besides, Vardan Oskanyan announced in the parliament that the return
of the territories is included in the agenda of the talks over
settlement, however, the first issue of the package is the
self-determination of the people of Karabakh and the status of
Karabakh. Then the other questions follow. In addition, the question
of the Armenian territories, namely part of the NKR regions of
Martakert and Martuni controlled by Azerbaijan is also negotiated.
However, Oskanyan said, this question is not on the same level with
the teritories controlled by the Armenian side. Vardan Oskanyan also
announced that maybe the package will be applied stage by stage but
it will by all means be adopted as a package, assured the minister.