ARMENIA FAVORS FURTHER KARABAKH SETTLEMENT AT OSCE MINSK GROUP

ITAR-TASS News Agency
September 14, 2007 Friday 6:20 PM EST
Russia

Armenia thinks that the OSCE Minsk Group should continue to supervise
the Karabakh settlement process, presidential representative Viktor
Sogomonian said on Friday.

"The OSCE Minsk Group is the best format. Another format of the
Karabakh settlement will not spur on this process," he said in comments
on the suggestion to put ‘frozen’ conflicts, including the Karabakh
one, on the agenda of the UN General Assembly.

The official reaffirmed the Armenian stand in the Karabakh conflict
but said that it would be premature to recognize the independence
of Karabakh. "In my opinion, a related draft of the opposition is
inappropriate," he said.

The OSCE Minsk Group cochairmen from Russia, the United States and
France will meet with Armenian officials on Monday. "We are expecting
the intermediaries to do their regular job: they are elaborating
settlement principles and trying to bring the positions of the sides
closer together," Sogomonian said.