TERRY DAVIS: KOSOVO PRECEDENT FOR NAGORNO KARABAKH IS VERY REGRETFUL

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
June 26 2007

"OSCE Minsk Group is dealing with the settlement of the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict. The Council of Europe is not directly engaged in the
problem. I must say there exists many difficulties around this problem.

There are so many elections in the region which make it difficult to
make progress regarding the settlement of the conflict. The improvement
in the elections in Armenia might positively influence this issue,"
said Council of Europe Secretary General Terry Davis today, APA’s
Europe bureau reports.

Condemning the elections in Nagorno Karabakh again Terry Davis,
"Nagorno Karabakh is not recognized by the international community,
it is not a separate state, so, any elections there are not recognized
and will not be recognized."

The Secretary General also commented on recent statements that Kosovo
might be a precedent for the solution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

"I say openly that I cannot many any comments now. The UN has not
yet passed any resolution on the future status of Kosovo. But I also
understand that this situation offers inspiration to many in Nagorno
Karabakh. This concerns not only Nagorno Karabakh but also Abkhazia,
South Ossetia, Transnistria. Separatist regimes exist. And they are
not recognized by the international community. I am sure these regimes
are interested in the situation around Kosovo. They much likely aim
to derive benefit from this as a precedent," he underscored.

Terry Davis underlined that some states that stand for the recognition
of Kosovo as independent state do not want these separatist regimes
to derive benefit from such situation, "Concretely, Kosovo precedent
for Nagorno Karabakh is very regretful.

That is all I can say now. I would not like to comment on internal
intentions of Armenia."