CO-CHAIRS REGISTER PROGRESS IN MUNICH NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN ARMENIAN AND AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENTS

ARMENPRESS
NOVEMBER 23, 2009
YEREVAN

"A very important progress has been registered in the negotiations,"
OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs stated after the November 22 negotiations
between the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents in Munich. "At the
same time we disclosed a certain difficulty," French co-chair Bernard
Fassier said.

The negotiations between the parties took place in the residence of
the French consul general in Munich and lasted for about four hours,
which according to Fassier "shows how long and deep the negotiations
were between first of all the two presidents and then between them
and OSCE Minsk Group mediators" Noting that the Munich negotiations
were the sixth during this year, B. Fassier considered that fact an
unprecedented one in the whole history of these negotiations, adding
that it witnesses the dynamics and seriousness of the negotiations.

"Today’s meeting was particularly long-lasting as thorough, very
constructive negotiations took place between the two presidents about
all the elements over which there is no agreement yet," he said.

"These discussions gave the presidents an opportunity to determine
the right elements of the progress. Today’s negotiations gave an
opportunity to also determine those difficult issues which have not
been solved yet," B. Fassier said.

According to him, the two presidents assigned the mediators to solve
those difficult issues.

At the same time in response to the question about the most
important issue over which a progress has been registered, Fassier
said that they have arrangement not to publicize the details of the
negotiations. "It must be done by the presidents, but we agreed that
in today’s negotiations an important progress has been registered."

At the meeting with the reporters the co-chairs also referred to
the recent statement of Ilham Aliyev that in case of not registering
progress in the negotiations the issue will be regulated in a military
way. "War cannot be an alternative in any case. We have told the
presidents in a strong and clear way that in Moscow, Paris and
Washington, our governments are of the opinion that war is not an
alternative as it cannot ensure a solution," Fassier said.

Russian co-chair Yuri Merzlyakov noted that this or that statement
may be agreed with the circumstances of inner-political life. "We have
told the presidents that during this sensitive period of negotiations,
it would be better to avoid voicing extreme accusations against each
other especially about the possibility of military solution," he said,
expressing hope that the parties will take into consideration this
position of the co-chairing countries.