ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN FMS WANT PROGRESS ON KARABAKH ISSUE

ITAR-TASS, Russia
Nov 14 2006

BRUSSELS, November 14 (Itar-Tass) – Ministers of Foreign Affairs
Vartan Oskanyan of Armenia and Elmar Mamedyarov of Azerbaijan told
a joint news conference here on Monday night that they are intent on
achieving progress in resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh issue at their
upcoming talks here.

Action Plans are to be signed here on Tuesday within the framework
of the policy of neighbourhood between the European Union and three
Southern Caucasus countries — Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.

Following the signing of those documents, the Foreign Ministers of
Azerbaijan and Armenia are to meet for bilateral talks. Both Ministers
expressed confidence that the signing of the Action Plans would
provide a fine opportunity for progress on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue.

Vartan Oskanyan emphasized that the Action Plans "contain a common
vision of the situation in the region". "After they are signed, we
shall move to another room to discuss the Nagorno-Karabakh problem —
this will be a basically new phase of the negotiating process. We
shall do our best to achieve progress and prepare a meeting between
our Presidents on the problem".

Elmar Mamedyarov, for his part, referred to the frozen conflicts as
"the main challenge to the Southern Caucasus countries". He shared
the optimism of his Armenian counterpart but stressed that one must
make headway in resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh problem in an "utterly
careful way".