INTERNATIONAL MEDIATORS ATTACH NEW ELEMENTS TO PROPOSALS ON ARMENIAN-AZERBAIJANI CONFLICT SETTLEMENT: US DIPLOMAT

TREND News Agency, Azerbaijan
Dec 24 2007

Azerbaijan, Baku /corr. Trend E.Huseynov / The international mediators
attached new elements to the last proposals on Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict settlement, which were presented to Azerbaijan and Armenia
in Madrid. The details of the elements are not made publicly available
due to the confidentiality of the talks.

"There are several new elements to this proposal, although I would
rather not comment on the specifics until the presidents have had
the opportunity to thoroughly study the principles and discuss their
views with us," said the US Co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, Matthew
Brayza, in his online interview with Trend on 24 December.

The written proposals which are comprised of ten principles were
presented to the conflicting sides by the OSCE Co-chairs late November
in Madrid. Presenting the proposals to the Foreign Ministers of
Azerbaijan and Armenia, the mediators stated that they presented the
proposals in a written form for prompt adoption due to the danger
that after the possible replacement of the powers in both countries
as a result of the presidential elections, the new heads may deny the
agreement reached by the sides. The principles of the settlement are
not made publicly available due to the confidentiality of the talks.

According to Bryza, the mediators have not yet heard the formal
responses of Presidents of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev and Armenia, Robert
Kocharyan, to the proposed Basic Principles for the Settlement of
the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict. "We consider it a positive development
that the two sides are seriously studying the document and have both
indicated an oral "gentlemen’s agreement" is possible before the
Armenian elections in February. We will discuss our proposal with the
presidents in detail when we travel to the region in mid-January,"
Bryza said.

"Once an agreement is reached, we are assuming the sides will disclose
the specifics of the Basic Principles to the public.

However, until we have reached an agreement, we would rather not to
comment on these specific elements," he said.

"The Co-Chairs firmly believe the current set of ideas on the table
provides the only logical and practicable way to advance towards a
peaceful settlement of the conflict, and we hope the two presidents
will come to this conclusion as well," the US diplomat said.

The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus began
in 1988 due to Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since
1992, Armenian Armed Forces have occupied 20% of Azerbaijan including
the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven surrounding districts. In
1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which
time the active hostilities ended. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk
Group ( Russia, France, and the US) are currently holding peaceful
negotiations.