BAKU, YEREVAN AGREE TO HOLD ANOTHER MINISTERIAL
AssA-Irada, Azerbaijan
April 5, 2007 Thursday
Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers Elmar Mammadyarov and
Vardan Oskanian meeting in Geneva on Wednesday agreed to hold another
round of talks on the Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict in April,
the Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry said. Commenting on the outcomes of
the meeting, attended by the OSCE mediators from the United States,
Russia and France, a spokesman for the ministry Khazar Ibrahimov said
the venue and timing of the next meeting will depend on the ministers
schedules. It is not ruled out that the ministerial will take place
on the sidelines of the next meeting of the CIS Foreign Ministers
Council due in Astana, Kazakhstan April 25. Ibrahimov noted that
holding another meeting of the two presidents was among the issues
discussed in Geneva.
But it should be taken into account that it could be held only if
there is a substantial basis for this, which is missing right now.
Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian said the parties did not
succeed in ironing out major differences of opinion. Now we understand
each others positions more clearly, but it is also clear that there
are profound contradictions in them, he said. At the same time,
Oskanian said hopes for progress in the peace process remain.
We believe that there is a good foundation for negotiations
and opportunities to move forward are still there. The Armenian
minister noted that there is a substantial document that lays out
opportunities for the conflict settlement. Russian co-chair of
the mediating OSCE Minsk Group, Yury Merzlyakov, said a document
outlining basic principles of the Garabagh settlement, developed by
the intermediaries, was discussed at the Geneva ministerial. These
include the status of Upper Garabagh and the pullout of the Armenian
armed forces from the occupied territories. Azerbaijan and Armenia
fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a cease-fire in
1994, but Armenia continues to occupy Upper Garabagh and seven other
Azerbaijani districts in defiance of international law. Peace talks
have been fruitless so far and refugees remain stranded.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
