YURI MERZLYAKOV: WE ARE CLOSE TO REACH AGREEMENT ON BASIC PRINCIPLES

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
April 24 2007

The meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian Foreign Ministers Elmar
Mammadyarov and Vardan Oskanyan in Belgrade was efficient, Russian
co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group Yuri Merzlyakov told the APA.

Merzlyakov assessing the current state of the negotiations for the
settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict said that they are close
to reach an agreement on basic principles.

The co-chair said that the already agreed elements were reconsidered
in the latest two meetings of the foreign ministers.

"Theoretical changes can be made to the agreed elements, because
according to the procedure, basic principles of the settlement will
be considered as agreed after all the issues are agreed. Yet I can
say that the majority of principles have already been agreed", he said.

All the eight elements of the negotiation process were discussed in
Belgrade meeting. Russian diplomat reminded again that an agreement
on basic principles is not peace agreement.

"These principles will serve as "carrying elements", and all the rest
issues will base on these elements," he said.

The mediator said there can a step forward only after there is an
agreement on basic principles.