PRESIDENTS OF ARMENIA, AZERBAIJAN TO MEET N PRAGUE ON MAY 7
Anna Nazaryan

"Radiolur"
27.04.2009 17:24

The Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham
Aliyev have confirmed their willingness to have a meeting in Prague on
May 7, Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group Yurni Merzlyakov (Russia),
Bernard Fassier (France) and Matthew Bryza (USA) told a press
conference in Yerevan today.

They assessed the agenda of their visits to Baku and Yerevan as
rich. They did not visit Stepanakert because of bad weather conditions,
but talked to the President of Nagorno Karabakh on phone.

Noting that they have worked long to organize the forthcoming meeting,
French Co-Chair Bernard Fassier voiced hope that the meeting would
be constructive and productive like the three previous meetings in
Saint Petersburg, Moscow and Zurich.

US Co-Chair Matthew Bryza added that new opportunities exist for a
rapid solution of the issue, and the Co-Chairs will do their best to
contribute to the process. According to him, expecting a resolution
within the coming three months is quite real.

According to Russian Co-Chair Yuri Merzlyakov, good bases exist
for progress.

The agreement reached between the Foreign Ministries of Armenia
and Turkey with the mediation of Switzerland could have a positive
influence on the whole region, the Co-Chair declared, adding that
the resolution of the Karabakh conflict and the establishment of th
e Armenian-Turkish relations would proceed separately.

"The normalization of relations would be a good basis for regional
development. The rapprochement of the two countries reflects the
positive energy in the region, and this energy benefits Armenia,
Azerbaijan and the Karabakh solution. However, we expect the two
processes to develop separately."

Another road map will possibly be developed in the process of
settlement of the Karabakh conflict. "Everything depends on the
decision of the parties on the level of the Presidents of the two
countries."

Fassier said the Madrid Proposals still remain on the table and many
of its provisions are going to be discussed in Prague by Presidents
Sargsyan and Aliyev. The Co-Chairs added that the Presidents could
have another meeting in Saint Petersburg in June if they wished so.