RUSSIA, ARMENIA, AZERBAIJAN TO DISCUSS KARABAKH AGAIN SOON

Interfax
May 12 2010
Russia

The Russian, Armenian and Azeri foreign ministers are expected to
meet soon to discuss ways of settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
President Dmitry Medvedev said at a news conference in Ankara on
Wednesday.

"Russia has a special mission here. We are not a conflicting
party. We are a mediator who is, however, actively involved in the
process. I, too, am working here and will continue doing so. Our
foreign ministers meet regularly and such meetings will continue soon
with the participation of the Russian, Armenian and Azeri foreign
ministers," the Russian president said.

"Steps inspiring hope have been made of late in settling the Nagorno-
Karabakh problem," he said.

"The parties meet, exchange views and in fact make progress on a
number of aspects of settlement. But this does not mean that agreement
has been achieved on all questions. Consultations continue. I myself
have offered to act as a mediator on many occasions to my partners,
presidents Aliyev and Sargsyan," Medvedev also said.

"We have met in Russia many times. I hope this will continue, even
though moments exist on which the positions must be clarified,"
the Russian president said.

Russia counts on an active position of the other parties in the
Organization for Security ad Cooperation in Europe’s Minsk Group,
which is brokering the Karabakh settlement, he said.

The Minsk Group comprises Russia, France and the United States.

"But all the basic issues must be discussed by the conflicting parties
themselves in the first place," Medvedev said.