CO-CHAIRS HOPE TO AGREE ON BASE PRINCIPLES CONCERNING NAGORNO GARABAGH CONFLICT

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Nov 16 2006

"OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs hope that Azerbaijani and Armenian
presidents will meet soon," Russian co-chair Yuri Merzlyakov said,
APA reports quoting to RIA "Novosti".

He said that they expect the meeting to be realized within the CIS
presidents’ summit in Minsk on November 28. He said that the co-chairs
made speech in the OSCE Standing Council. Russian diplomat said that
there are great opportunities to come to an agreement on the settlement
of Nagorno Garabagh conflict.

"The sides should at least agree on base principles of the future
peace treaty," he said.

The Russian diplomat said the elections of 2007-2008 approach and the
election campaigns make negative influence on the negotiations. Asked
if the settlement of Kosovo conflict will influence the settlement
of Nagorno Garabagh conflict the diplomat said that the settlement
of Kosovo conflict will more or less influence the conflicts in the
OSCE space, as well as Nagorno Garabagh conflict.