CO-CHAIRMEN ATTACH IMPORTANCE TO PEACEFUL NEGOTIATIONS
Gevorg Harutyunyan

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
18 Nov 08
Armenia

The regular regional visit of the OSCE Co-Chairmen is over. Mathew
Braise, Bernard Facieses, and Yuri Merzliakov summed up the results,
in the US Embassy yesterday.

The American Co-Chairman Mathew Braise particularly touched upon
the responses covered in the Azerbaijani press regarding the visit:
"There were rumors that we have prepared a certain secret protocol
according to which Armenia must commit itself to tough obligations,
in private. These rumors and publications have nothing to do with
the reality. You must understand what game it is.

No matter what we say in Baku the commentaries are unilateral and
intentional. My words have been translated and re-translated several
times.

The journalist or his editor simply intended to make my words
beneficial for them. This is their lifestyle in that part of the
world."

Mathew Braise underscored that the process of the negotiations on the
settlement of Karabakh conflict is in a quite different situation at
the moment. "After the Moscow meeting on November 2 the dispositions of
Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents have positively changed, for which
I express my gratitude to our Russian partners. I can feel that an
atmosphere has been created where the mutual respect of the Presidents
is gradually growing. They and the Russian President20Dmitry Medvedev
have signed a document according to which peaceful negotiations; by
the mediation of the Minsk Group is the only way to the settlement
of the conflict.

In this situation it is very important for the both conflicting
parties not to initiate any action that can jeopardize our
expectations. Whereas we are very concerned about the incident that
took place in Fizuly yesterday. In this situation they shouldn’t take
provocative actions."

According to the American diplomat you can’t say "any of the
Presidents views the settlement of the conflict in the context of
mutual concession. What they really do is they try to observe the issue
from each other’s point of view and find a settlement acceptable for
their people.

As regards Karabakh people they must be safeguarded against armed
attacks."

Bernard Facieses underscored that Minsk Group is after finding
mutually acceptable solution by means of the negotiations due to
which Karabakh people will live in security: "We are doing our best
to provide the security of Karabakh people with complex measures
and international guarantees. And we are trying to get Azerbaijan’s
agreement regarding this."

Yuri Merzliakov assured that Serge Sargsyan’s answer regarding
mutual concession was the best: "The question addressed to him
lacked clear formulation and Serge Sargsyan answered that one can’t
return lan ds easily. You must clarify all the circumstances, because
today the liberated territories must firstly guarantee the national,
territorial and economic security of Karabakh people. The territories
are returned once you are provided with adequate, internationally
confirmed guarantees.

It is also noteworthy that no one has yet asked the opinion of Karabakh
people about returning the lands. It is hard to believe that Karabakh
people will agree to return any land for security guarantees.

The correspondent of "Hayots Ashkharh" daily tried to clarify when
and how they will try to clarify the opinion of Karabakh people,
and when will NKR authorities become a party to negotiation.

Bernard Facieses underscored that the past negotiation process was far
not fruitless. "At present we know a lot about Karabakh and Karabakh
people, their stance. I don’t agree to the opinions sometimes heard
in Yerevan and Stepanakert that NKR doesn’t have any participation
in Minsk Group negotiations. But in reality we very often visit
Stepanakert.

Believe me not only do we visit Karabakh to drink mullberry vodka and
taste Armenian cuisine. We do very serious job. At the moment Karabakh
people and the authorities partake in the negotiation process as much
as possible. Of course one day Karabakh will express its opinion. The
sooner the better."