OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRMAN HOPES FOR PROGRESS IN KARABAKH SETTLEMENT
Interfax News Service
June 4 2008
Russia
Progress can be achieved in the Karabakh settlement talks this year,
Matthew Bryza, U.S. co-chairman of the OSCE Minks Group, said he
believes.
Considerable progress in the negotiations has been achieved over the
past year and further progress can be achieved this year, Bryza said
an a speech given at the international conference Caspian Oil&Gas in
Baku on Wednesday.
Bryza recalled that the Azeri president has openly said that there
are reasons to consider this year to be a special one in Karabakh
settlement.
An important factor of success is the fact that the countries co-
chairing the OSCE (Russia, the U.S., and France) back the principle
of territorial integrity, Bryza said.
He placed special emphasis on this factor because there have previously
been doubts about the observance of the principle of territorial
integrity by the OSCE Minsk Group countries.
The mediators should find compromises to which the parties can agree,
he said.
The mediators’ task is to give proposals, act as catalysts, and
help the conflicting parties to reach agreements, whose final result
depends on the leaders and their nations, said Bryza.