Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Jan 29 2007

Yuri Merzlyakov: next meeting between Azerbaijani and Armenian
foreign ministers may be held in the second half of February

[ 29 Jan. 2007 19:02 ]

`OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs, mediator on the settlement of Nagorno
Karabakh conflict, are working on organization of a new round of
negotiations between Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers’,
Russian co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Yri Merzlyakov told APA.

He said that next meeting between Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign
ministers may be held in the second half of February. It will depend
on the schedules of the ministers. He refused to comment on their
suggestion to hold presidents’ meeting at the last visit to the
region. He pointed out that it is necessary to continue negotiations
at presidents’ level.
`I think, the process will continue’, he said.
When asked how Russia can suggest the application of Kosovo
settlement variant to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Merzlyakov
stated that Russia always supports to reach general agreement between
Belgrade and Prishtine. Russia approaches the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict in this way.
`The sides should reach an agreement themselves. It is not right to
suggest them some receipts. If Serbia and Kosovo come to an
agreement, Russia is ready to support the agreement’, he said.
Yuri Merzlyakov noted that co-chairs’ next visit to the region is
possible after the meeting of foreign ministers. /APA/