US envoy urges political will to settle Karabakh conflict

Mediamax news agency
23 Mar 07

Yerevan, March 23: The EU special representative for the South
Caucasus, Peter Semneby, said in Yerevan today that the sides should
change their stances in order to achieve progress in the Karabakh
conflict settlement.

Mediamax reports that Peter Semneby said this after the meeting with
the president of the Nagornyy Karabakh republic (NKR) Arkadi
Ghukasyan, in Yerevan today.

According to Peter Semneby, the international community expects that
the sides show political will that is required to accept the proposals
of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs.

"The EU can use certain tools to support the negotiating process and
to assist the efforts of the co-chairs", Peter Semneby stated.

The EU special representative stressed the importance of establishing
an atmosphere of mutual confidence between the sides.

Mediamax reports that the president of the Nagornyy Karabakh republic
(NKR), Arkadi Ghukasyan, stated that during the negotiations on the
settlement of the conflict the sides had not managed to agree upon key
issues: the conduct of a referendum, the status of Nagornyy Karabakh
and the return of the territories [around Nagornyy Karabakh]. According
to the NKR president, as long as Azerbaijan continues making
non-constructive statements, it is difficult to talk about the
establishment of confidence between the sides.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress