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ALIYEV-KOCHARIAN TALKS HAMPERED BY TENSIONS - GARABAGH MEDIATOR
AssA-Irada, Azerbaijan
April 5, 2007 Thursday
The next round of talks on the Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict
between Azerbaijani and Armenian Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Robert
Kocharian is being impeded by tensions between the parties that
emerged since the November 2006 meeting of the two leaders in Minsk,
the French mediator visiting Baku has said.We therefore decided to
visit the region to arrange a meeting of the two foreign ministers, the
co-chair of the mediating OSCE Minsk Group (MG), Bernard Fassier, told
a news conference Thursday.He noted that a similar situation emerged
in the run-up to the 2005 parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan. The
diplomat said the presidents talks depended on the efficiency of the
next meeting of foreign ministers Elmar Mammadyarov and Vardan Oskanian
due in Geneva as well as further ministerials and expressed hope that
it would be successful. Fassier said he discussed the possibility
of holding the presidents meeting with the Armenian and Azerbaijani
leaders on Wednesday and Thursday.
During the visit, he also exchanged views on the return of Azerbaijani
refugees home, pointing to some problems in this area.
Touching on recent calls for the European Unions involvement in
mediating talks, Fassier said the EU is putting forth relevant
initiatives, but the Minsk Group is the only group directly involved
in brokering peace talks.The diplomat said both the G8 states and
the European Union envoy on South Caucasus Peter Semneby have made it
clear that they politically support the MGs activity. He added that
the 27-member union could play an important role in the development
of education, public opinion and restoration of relations between
Azerbaijan and Armenia. With regard to some allegations that the
Kosovo model could be applied in the Armenia-occupied Upper Garabagh
region a claim by Armenians that is dismissed by Azeri officials
and international diplomats Fassier reiterated that the Kosovo
settlement could not serve as precedent. The Kosovo problem differs
from the conflicts flaring in the ex-Soviet republics, he added.The
French co-chair, who had talks in Baku after visiting Yerevan and
Tbilisi, said he plans to visit Armenia again on Monday to discuss
the outcome of the talks he had in the Azeri capital with Yerevan. On
Tuesday, he is to meet with his US and Russian counterparts to mull
the outcome of his visit to the region. This will be followed by a
meeting of the Azeri and Armenian foreign ministers on the next day
to be attended by the Minsk Group co-chairmen.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.
AssA-Irada, Azerbaijan
April 5, 2007 Thursday
The next round of talks on the Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict
between Azerbaijani and Armenian Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Robert
Kocharian is being impeded by tensions between the parties that
emerged since the November 2006 meeting of the two leaders in Minsk,
the French mediator visiting Baku has said.We therefore decided to
visit the region to arrange a meeting of the two foreign ministers, the
co-chair of the mediating OSCE Minsk Group (MG), Bernard Fassier, told
a news conference Thursday.He noted that a similar situation emerged
in the run-up to the 2005 parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan. The
diplomat said the presidents talks depended on the efficiency of the
next meeting of foreign ministers Elmar Mammadyarov and Vardan Oskanian
due in Geneva as well as further ministerials and expressed hope that
it would be successful. Fassier said he discussed the possibility
of holding the presidents meeting with the Armenian and Azerbaijani
leaders on Wednesday and Thursday.
During the visit, he also exchanged views on the return of Azerbaijani
refugees home, pointing to some problems in this area.
Touching on recent calls for the European Unions involvement in
mediating talks, Fassier said the EU is putting forth relevant
initiatives, but the Minsk Group is the only group directly involved
in brokering peace talks.The diplomat said both the G8 states and
the European Union envoy on South Caucasus Peter Semneby have made it
clear that they politically support the MGs activity. He added that
the 27-member union could play an important role in the development
of education, public opinion and restoration of relations between
Azerbaijan and Armenia. With regard to some allegations that the
Kosovo model could be applied in the Armenia-occupied Upper Garabagh
region a claim by Armenians that is dismissed by Azeri officials
and international diplomats Fassier reiterated that the Kosovo
settlement could not serve as precedent. The Kosovo problem differs
from the conflicts flaring in the ex-Soviet republics, he added.The
French co-chair, who had talks in Baku after visiting Yerevan and
Tbilisi, said he plans to visit Armenia again on Monday to discuss
the outcome of the talks he had in the Azeri capital with Yerevan. On
Tuesday, he is to meet with his US and Russian counterparts to mull
the outcome of his visit to the region. This will be followed by a
meeting of the Azeri and Armenian foreign ministers on the next day
to be attended by the Minsk Group co-chairmen.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.