NALBANDIAN-MAMEDYAROV MEETING BEING ARRANGED
By Ara Martirosian
AZG Armenian Daily
20/09/2008
Armenia-Azerbaijan
During a press conference September 17 French Co-Chair of the OSCE
Minsk Group Bernard Fassier told about his visit to South Caucasus. He
said he had met with the presidents of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh,
the Armenian ministers for Defense and Foreign Affairs, after which
he was to leave to Tbilisi and then Baku.
It went out that the visit of the French diplomat was aimed at
arranging the meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign
Ministers, Edward Nalbandian and Elmar Mamedyarov, during which
the meeting of the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan are to be
planned. Mr. Fassier also noted that all the Armenian officials found
the OSCE Minsk Group format appropriate and even necessary for the
success of the peace process on Karabakh.
Bernard Fassier informed that his counterparts from the Minsk Group,
Matthew Bryza and Yuri Merzliakov, were not able to come with him to
South Caucasus due to hard working schedule. However, he assured that
close cooperation between the Co-Chairman is still in place.
Before starting to answer the reporters’ questions Fassier declared
that the August events in Georgia proved Minsk Group’s confidence
that no conflict should be solved by military force. He said that
the military actions in Georgia harmed also Armenia and Azerbaijan,
but recalling that there is no great loss without some small gain,
he added that the sides engaged in the Nagonrno-Karabakh conflict
shall be more careful and aware of Georgia’s example.
Answering how Turkey’s initiative to interfere with the peace
process on karabakh is accepted at OSCE, Bernard Fassier said that
Turkey’s initiative is welcome as long as it is helpful and is aimed
at supporting the activities of the Minsk Group. He also reminded
that Turkey is included among the 12 members of the Minsk Group,
and the mediators act also on behalf of that country.
During the press conference AZG Daily representative reminded
Mr. Fassier that the Azerbaijani side stated that Armenia is more
than any other country interested in settling the Karabakh conflict
and again accused the Armenia authorities for a non-constructive
stance. The AZG correspondent asked if the Minsk Group has ever
observed any non-constructive actions on Armenia’s part, to which
the Co-Chairman answered that he is not authorized to comment on
other officials’ statements. He noted that over the last 3 years the
peace process has considerably progressed, which is proved by the
suggestions of the USA, Russia and France.
Speaking about the Madrid suggestions, Bernard Fassier reminded that
in January 2008 Armenia and Azerbaijan approved them and expressed
home that they will bring forth an unprecedented progress in Karabakh
conflict settlement.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
