US OFFICIAL SAYS 2008 POLL IMPORTANT FOR ARMENIA’S TRANSITION TO DEMOCRACY

Mediamax News Agency
Dec 25 2007
Armenia

US co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group for settlement of the Nagornyy
Karabakh conflict, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European
and Eurasian Affairs Matthew Bryza, has said Armenia’s upcoming
presidential election "is an important moment for Armenia’s transition
to democracy as it will present the opportunity to strengthen and unite
achievements in the sphere of political freedoms and civil rights".

In an exclusive interview with the Armenian Mediamax news agency
published on 25 December, Bryza voiced the hope that the election
will be "the most free and fair in Armenia’s history".

Bryza also welcomed Armenia’s decision to invite OSCE observers, saying
that this would "ensure conditions for a free and uncensored press".

In a separate report, the agency quoted Bryza as saying he hoped
that it will be possible "to reach a verbal, gentleman’s agreement"
on the settlement of the Nagornyy Karabakh issue before the Armenian
presidential election. Bryza said that the latest draft of the key
principles for the conflict’s settlement was presented to the Armenian
and Azerbaijani authorities in Madrid and that it "contains suggestions
on overcoming the disagreements between Armenia and Azerbaijan on
several questions".

He added that the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen are going to visit
the region in mid-January 2008 "to get to know the reactions of the
presidents, Armenia’s Robert Kocharyan and Azerbaijan’s Ilham Aliyev
to the latest suggestions".

"The co-chairmen hope that the presidents will reach a verbal
agreement concerning this document before the presidential election in
Armenia. Reaching such a verbal agreement will provide the opportunity
to start negotiations on a peace treaty, which will be based on the
key principles," Bryza said.

Bryza said that the current key principles are not identical to those
proposed three years ago, the agency added. "Some of the changes,
taken into consideration by the mediators, are considerable and are
a result of important compromises on both sides," Bryza added.

"The president should be themselves sure that the mediators’ proposal
promises real benefits and complies with the national interests of
their countries. When each of the presidents admits that he and his
colleague have reached the finish line in the search for concessions,
they will face a decisive choice – to agree to the just compromise
on the table or start from zero with a risk of a start of an armed
conflict? We hope that the presidents will choose the key principles,
which outline the just and long term settlement," Bryza said.