Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
Jan 15 2008

Baku Believes Resolution of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Cannot Depend
on Elections
15.01.08 15:53

Azerbaijan, Baku 15 January / corr Trend K.Ramazanova / Baku believes
that the resolution of the Armenian-Azerbaijan conflict over
Nagorno-Karabakh cannot depend on the presidential elections in
Azerbaijan and Armenia, Araz Azimov, the Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign
Minister, stated on 15 January.

Presidential elections will be held in Armenia and Azerbaijan in
February and October. The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, who since 1994
have undertaken the mediation mission on the resolution of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, last December for the first time submitted
to the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia written proposals
on the resolution of the conflict. After the meeting in Madrid Elmar
Mammadyarov, the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister, stated that in this
way the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs wanted to prevent attempts by the
new Governments in Azerbaijan and Armenia to pass upon the results
achieved over the past three years.

Meanwhile, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, Russian Ambassador Yuriy
Merzlyakov, US Ambassador Matthew Bryza and French Ambassador Bernard
Fassier launched the next visit to the region. Arriving in Baku Bryza
told journalists about the possibilities of an oral agreement to
resolve the conflict before the presidential elections are held in
Armenia and Azerbaijan.

According to Azimov, over the past three years the sides achieved
definite results. `However, they are still insufficient for
fundamental changes in talks,’ Azimov said.

He said that the proposals submitted by the Minsk Group in Madrid,
contain some milestones which should be discussed. `We will continue
talks on the achievement of an agreement on all principles,’ the
Deputy Minister said.