ISSUE OF NEXT MEETING OF PRESIDENTS OF AZERBAIJAN AND ARMENIA REMAINS UNCLEAR: DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE

TREND News Agency
March 20 2008
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan, Baku, 21 March /corr. Trend News K.Ramazanova / The
issue of the date and place of the next meeting of the Presidents of
Azerbaijan and Armenia remains unclear, said the U.S. Co-Chairman of
the OSCE Minsk Group, Matthew Bryza.

According to unofficial information, the meeting of the Presidents
of Azerbaijan and Armenia regarding peaceful settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict may take place at the beginning of April
in Bucharest within the NATO summit. Yerevan and Baku highlighted
their preparedness to re-establish the negotiations process which was
suspended as a result of presidential elections in Armenia in February.

The U.S. Co-Chairman said that the President of Armenia, Robert
Kocharyan, who completes his presidential term will not participate in
the NATO Bucharest summit, and the newly elected President of Armenia,
Serj Sarkisyan, will come to the presidential oath no earlier than
9 April, Bryza said, adding that it remains unclear when the next
meeting of the leaders of the two countries will take place.

The U.S. politician considers that the fair and sustainable settlement
of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict remains as one of the key issues of
the US-Azerbaijan partnership. "The United States and Azerbaijan
are satisfied with the deep friendship and strong strategic
partnership. The high-ranking officials of Azerbaijan clearly
made aware Washington that they intend to, in every possible way,
strengthen and intensify our close relations in a wide diapason of
issues of mutual interest," said the Deputy Assistant Secretary of
State for European and Eurasian Affairs, Matthew Bryza.

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.