US DIPLOMAT UPBEAT ON LATEST PEACE PLAN ON KARABAKH

Day.Az
Nov 29 2007
Azerbaijan

A senior US diplomat has called the latest set of principles proposed
by international mediators on Nagornyy Karabakh as the "most logical
formula" to resolve the long-standing conflict between Armenia and
Azerbaijan.

"For today, what is on the negotiation table now is the most logical
formula to resolve the conflict," Matthew Bryza, US deputy assistant
secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, was quoted by
Azerbaijan’s Day.az website as saying. "I think that every person
who has common sense would accept these principles."

The mediators formally presented the principles to the Azerbaijani
and Armenian foreign ministers in Madrid on 29 November. Azerbaijan’s
Foreign Ministry has said that the principles include withdrawal
of Armenian troops from the Azerbaijani territories surrounding
Nagornyy Karabakh, return of refugees to their homes and restoration
of communications between the conflicting sides, among others.

Turan news agency quoted the ministry spokesman, Xazar Ibrahim, as
saying that the sides had failed to agree only one of the proposed
principles, which he did not specify.

Speaking to Day.az, Bryza said that the proposals were the "most
rational" ones made in the past 10-15 years. He added that the
mediators were now waiting for response from the Azerbaijani and
Armenian presidents.

"We have made the best proposals for compromises, and now are
looking forward to hear from the presidents. But this is not a new
initiative. This is the end of the initiatives. And now, as I said,
we are waiting for response from the heads of states," Bryza was
quoted as saying.