Today.Az , Azerbaijan
April 25 2009

There are reasonable hopes Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will be resolved
until end of year: French co-chair

25 April 2009 [10:19] – Today.Az

There are reasonable hopes that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will be
resolved until end of the year, OSCE Minsk Group French Co-chair
Bernard Fassier said.

Fassier compared resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with a
house building and added that first bricks of the house have already
been laid.

"We could put some bricks of the house during recent meetings in Baku
and Yerevan. We are not in the stage to put a roof yet. However, there
are reasonable hopes to achieve serious and concrete progress until
end of the year," Fassier told reporters in Baku before leaving for
Yerevan on April 25.

OSCE Minks Group co-chairs discussed resolution of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with foreign minister and president of
Azerbaijan during the next visit to the country.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding
districts. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in
1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the
U.S. – are currently holding peace negotiations.

Fassier said progress in this process depends on numerous factors.

"It does not always depend on us. It also depends on sides, presidents
and other factors," French co-chair said.

/Trend News/

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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress