MEDIATORS URGE KARABAKH’S INVOLVEMENT IN PEACE TALKS

Kavkaz.memo.ru website
16 Sep 07
Moscow

16 September: The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen have just completed
their visit to Karabakh. The goal of the visit, as described by the
co-chairmen themselves, was to meet the new president of Karabakh.

After meeting Bako Sahakyan, the Russian co-chairman, Yuriy Merzlyakov,
noted that the meeting was very fruitful.

The French co-chairman, Bernard Fassier, said that it was a "very
interesting and positive meeting, and I believe that we will expand
and develop cooperation with the leadership of Nagornyy Karabakh".

"It is obvious, and I said this more than once, that one has to see
representatives of Nagornyy Karabakh at the negotiating table one day,
and the sooner, the better. We did not define the current format,
but it is time to change it," Bernard Fassier said.

US co-chairman Matthew Bryza supported his colleague and stressed
that the start of a new political season in Armenia and Azerbaijan
did not mean that the negotiations would be suspended.

After the meeting, president Bako Sahakyan met journalists. He said
that the Karabakh side had once again stressed its commitment to the
peaceful resolution of the conflict and a constructive dialogue.

"We spoke about the format of the talks and noted that the current
format was very ineffective. We spoke about Armenia’s involvement and
stressed that we trust Armenia and that moreover, we are grateful
to it for its efforts to support the NKR [self-declared Nagornyy
Karabakh republic]. But for the negotiations to have a logical ending,
the NKR should be involved as a full party," Sahakyan said.