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

2007-12-25 14:12:00

ArmInfo. 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 Bryza, 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.