NO BREAKTHROUGH REACHED AT ALIYEV-KOCHARIAN MEETING IN ST. PETERSBURG – MAMEDYAROV

Interfax, Russia
June 11 2007

BAKU. June 11 (Interfax) – No breakthrough was reached at a meeting of
Azerbaijani President Ilkham Aliyev with Armenian President Robert
Kocharian in St. Petersburg, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar
Mamedyarov said.

"The Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents talked about the issues at
the latest meeting assuming the earlier discussed elements; however,
I cannot say that a breakthrough was secured," the minister told
journalist on Monday.

"However, every meeting is another possibility to clearly understand
the position of the other party. The fact that the meeting lasted
three hours proves that it was intense. Many issues were discussed.

In general, these are basic settlement principles," the minister said.

The talks were held within the framework of the Prague process,
the minister said. This means that a gradual settlement should
be guaranteed, according to which Armenian forces in the occupied
territories should be replaced with peacekeepers, forced migrants
should return, and then the Nagorno-Karabakh status issue should be
solved, he said.

Talks will continue; however, co-chairmen of the Minsk Group asked
for some time to study the situation, Mamedyarov said, adding: "One
knows the direction of further talks, but some nuances are possible."