MEETING OF AZERBAIJANI, & ARMENIAN PRESIDENTS DEPENDS ON OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRMEN

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
May 18 2007

Azerbaijan, Baku / Òrend S. Aghayeva / Pre-requisites for the next
meeting of the Azerbaijani and Armenian Presidents will be developed by
the chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group to settle the Armenian-Azerbaijani
conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, who have plans to visit the region
at the beginning of May-beginning of June.

The Azerbaijani Foreign Minister, Elmar Mammadyarov, reported to
correspondents in Baku on 18 May that the next visit is scheduled
on 25 May. The visit of the acting OSCE Chairman, Spain’s Foreign
Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos is expected to visit the region on
4 June. On 5-6 June the region will be visited by the co-chairmen of
the Minsk Group.

"After the talks with the co-chairmen it will become clear whether
there is a necessity for the meetings between the Azerbaijani and
Armenian presidents. I believe the means for diplomatic settlement
of the conflict have not been exhausted. It is too early to speak of
the results, but negotiations will be continued," the minister said.

As to the position of Baku towards the presidential elections to be
held in the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) on 19 July,
the minister said that any elections held in the NKR are illegal and
ridiculous. They will not contribute to the peace process.

The conflict between the two South-Caucasus countries broke out
in 1988 with Armenia’s territorial claims to Azerbaijan. Some 20%
of Azerbaijani territories (Nagorno-Karabakh and 7 nearby regions)
have been under the occupation of the Armenian Armed Forces since
1992. In May, 1994 a ceasefire was signed with both sides. The peace
talks under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk group presided by Russia,
France, and United States are still fruitless.

–Boundary_(ID_q+b5/WVuLzqmlYsWZQ7zvA) —
From: Baghdasarian