MAIN FORMAT OF TALKS IS NOT REALITY YET

Azat Artsakh, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh [NKR]
23 Dec 2006

Although the OSCE summit has instructed the Minsk Group co-chairs to
include all the parties of the conflict in the talks, this instruction
has not been carried out yet. NKR President Arkady Ghukassian thinks
the talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group are not active. "I am not
against the meetings of the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan,
which are highly important, but the main format does not work," he
said and stated that the settlement of the conflict is impossible
without the participation of Nagorno Karabakh. The conflict over
Nagorno Karabakh can be settled only in an atmosphere of mutual
confidence and a constructive atmosphere, which lacks today, says
the NKR president. " If there is an atmosphere of mutual confidence,
all the windows are open," he says. Azerbaijan refuses to negotiate
with Artsakh and punishes every Azerbaijani who visits Karabakh and
meets with the people of Karabakh. It is impossible to settle minor
and major issues in such an atmosphere, he says.

OFELIA KAMAVOSSIAN. 23-12-2006

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress