PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS WILL HAVE NO IMPACT ON PROCESS OF NAGORNO
KARABAKH SETTLEMENT, MATTHEW BRYZA CONSIDERS

YEREVAN, JANUARY 15, NOYAN TAPAN. The presidential elections to be held
in Armenia and Azerbaijan will play no role in the process of Nagorno
Karabakh settlement. Matthew Bryza, the American Co-chair of the OSCE
Minsk Group, expressed such an opinion in his January 15 interview to
journalists. "I do not agree to the opinion that "the window of
possibilities" is closed. I think that if there is will in society,
that window is always open. As far as I know, all candidates for
presidency in both countries approve our actions," he said.

According to M. Bryza, in Madrid the OSCE MG Co-chairs had proposed a
new document containing the main principles of conflict settlement,
about provisions of which he exchanged opinions with the RA President
and Foreign Minister during this visit, as he had done this in Baku
before. "We should finish working out that document, though I cannot
say whether we will manage to do it before the presidential elections
to be held in Armenia. I know that both Presidents have their firm
views, however, I consider that they are ready to find common
language," he said.

M. Bryza affirmed that there are some positive shifts in the
negotiations process. "It is difficult to say whether a document will
be signed or an oral agreement will be reached between the parties this
year, but I feel a new constructive spirit. I notice that the
Presidents are very attentive to every word: it means that a serious
work is being done." Quotting Azeri President Ilham Aliyev’s statement
of the previous day that this year should be decisive for the
negotiations process, the OSCE MG American Co-chair expressed the hope
that it will be this way indeed.

The Co-chairs will visit Artsakh, in M. Bryza’s words, to get
acquainted with the situation and people better on the spot. Then they
will return to Yerevan and will leave for Baku again.