BAKU: Mann: Karabakh Conflict May Be Settled By Year-End

Steven Mann: Karabakh Conflict May Be Settled By Year-End

Baku Today
July 16 2005

The Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorno Karabakh may be settled
by the year-end, the US co-chair of the mediating OSCE Minsk Group
told a news conference in Yerevan.

“Major progress is observed in the conflict resolution over the past
year, which enables a conclusion that the conflict will be settled
by the year-end. But we do not know for certain that this will happen.”

Russian co-chair Yuri Merzlyakov said the parties are currently
trying to work out the ‘elements’ forming the basis of the conflict
resolution.

“The parties have compromised indeed and real opportunities came
about for the conflict settlement.”

The French mediator Bernard Fassier said the upcoming parliamentary
elections in Azerbaijan and a referendum due in Armenia should not
affect the negotiating process ‘in theory’, but it is unknown whether
this will be the case ‘in practice’.