YEREVAN, BAKU DO NOT VIEW KARABAKH SETTLEMENT IN CONTEXT OF CONCESSIONS – U.S. MEDIATOR

Interfax
Nov 17 2008
Russia

U.S. co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group for Nagorno-Karabakh
settlement Matthew Bryza thinks that Armenian and Azeri presidents
are not considering the settlement in the context of concessions.

Now each president has had the opportunity to view this conflict
through the eyes of the other president and can see a resolution
beneficial to both countries, Bryza told a news conference in Yerevan
on Monday.

Bernard Fassier, the Minsk Group co-chairman from France, thinks
that the resolution of the conflict should assume that the people of
Nagorno-Karabakh should have the possibility to live in peace.

"We think that in the future one needs to ensure the security of
the Nagorno-Karabakh people by means of multilateral events and
international guarantees. There should be Azerbaijan’s consent in
this process," Fassier said.

Speaking about Armenia returning the Azeri territories, Russian co-
chairman of the Minsk Group Yury Merzlyakov said: "If there is an
adequate substitute, including international guarantees to Nagorno-
Karabakh people, they can be returned. This is what our effort is
aimed at."

Fassier pointed out that the parties only ceased fire and this is not
a peace agreement, and just a declaration is not enough "to switch
from cease fire to peace settlement at once."

"We are at the preliminary stage of forming a new peace agreement.

There is no consent of the general issues. We are familiar with the
position of Nagorno-Karabakh people," Fassier said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress