OSCE MINSK GROUP: THE INVOLVEMENT OF NKR REPRESENTATIVES IS UNAVOIDABLE: THE SOONER THE BETTER
By Aghavni Harutyunian

AZG Armenian Daily
09/06/2007

The Co-Chairs also has not great expectations of the meeting in
St Peterburg

"We held very open, honest and constructive talks with President
Kocharian and Minister Oskanian", the US Co-Chair of OSCE Minsk Group
Metthew Bryza announced to a press conference on June 8, in Yerevan. He
qualified his words of optimism as personal and mentioned that they
don’t expect a "breakthrough" of Kocharian-Aliyev meeting on Saturday
evening in St Petersburg. "It’s evident that the discussions are
serious, respectful and the circle of disagreements becomes narrower,
but they exist."

Russian Co-Chair Yuri Merzlyakov didn’t give any mark to the meeting
of St Petersburg, but he mentioned, " there are objective conditions
for the progress in the main principles.

The French Co-Chair emphasized that the proposals lain on the table
of talk are balanced; the Presidents must evaluate the proposals
and decide what points they agree and what points they do not agree
on. We will say the word "breakthrough", when the Presidents trust
each other and make a balanced decision. And then the Ministers will
carry out the agreement with the experts and specialists".

According to "Associated press" agency Bryza had announced that it
was already agreed to return the 7 regions around Karabakh. The US
Co-Chair presented the original of the interview and mentioned that he
hadn’t mentioned any figure and hadn’t told anything of returning the
regions. "I refused to comment on any agreement related the refugees
and evacuated. I didn’t comment on disagreed issues, I spoke about
the main principles", he said.

Merzlyalov clarified the information given by the Azerbaijani media
about his announcements of Nagorno Karabakh as "an inseparable part
of Azerbaijan" and about his adoption of "territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan", "there was a time when Nagorno Karabakh was de jure
part of Azerbaijan, then the conflict started and it changed into an
international issue instead of inner issue of USSR. Karabakh changed
from the subject of conflict into an object of conflict.

NKR is not recognized by any country. We were asked if NKR was
recognized by our states and we answered that our states recognized
the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. It doesn’t mean that Nagorno
Karabakh is an inseparable part of Azerbaijan".

Metthew Bryza didn’t want to betray the secrecy related to possible
discussions of the regions (Artsvashen, part of Martuni, Martakert,
etc.) occupied by Azerbaijan.

According to Bernard Fassier it’s not their fault that NKR isn’t
involved in the negotiation process.

"Anyhow, the involvement of NKR representatives is unavoidable,
the sooner the better", he said. What about the attitude of the
Armenian side, which represents the status and security of NKR as
the most important task, Metthew Bryza announced that each side has
its own primary tasks. "I am not surprised that Arkadi Khukasian
and Vardan Oskanian think the issue of the status of NKR is the most
important. NKR status and security are primary issues not only for
them, but also for OSCE Minsk Group".