CO-CHAIRS TIGHTLIPPED ON POSSIBLE KOCHARIAN-ALIEV MEETING AFTER YEREVAN VISIT
By Astghik Bedevian

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Nov 22 2006

No announcement has been made about a possible meeting of the
presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan after Tuesday’s visit of the
OSCE Minsk Group cochairmen to Yerevan.

The cochairmen of the group from Russia and France, Yuri Merzlyakov and
Bernard Fassier, today met with Armenian President Robert Kocharian
and Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian. The U.S. cochairman of the
group Matthew Bryza did not arrive in Yerevan.

In a recent interview with RFE/RL Vartan Oskanian said that during
their visit to the region the cochairmen would propose a meeting of
the two presidents on the sidelines of the November 28 summit of the
Commonwealth of Independent States.

The cochairmen left Yerevan for Baku. In analysts’ opinion, a
possible meeting may be announced after the cochairmen’s meeting with
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliev.

Last week Robert Kocharian said that "unfortunately, despite the
ongoing active negotiations, there are few grounds for optimism."