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OSCE Minsk Group French Co-Chair Discusses Karabakh Conflict In Turk

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  • OSCE Minsk Group French Co-Chair Discusses Karabakh Conflict In Turk

    OSCE MINSK GROUP FRENCH CO-CHAIR DISCUSSES KARABAKH CONFLICT IN TURKEY

    ArmInfo
    2009-05-19 12:06:00

    ArmInfo. A visit to Ankara by one of the three co-chairpersons of
    the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk
    Group of countries mediating the talks between Yerevan and Baku for
    resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute has given the Turkish capital
    the chance to express its continued support for the process, Today's
    Zaman reported.

    Ambassador Bernard Fassier of France was in Ankara yesterday for
    several meetings including one with Ambassador Ertugrul Apakan,
    the undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry. This was Fassier's first
    visit to the Turkish capital in his capacity as a co- chairperson of
    the OSCE Minsk Group -- a post he assumed in 2004.

    The other two co-chairpersons are Ambassador Yuri Merzlyakov of the
    Russian Federation and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew
    Bryza of the United States.

    "Yesterday's meeting between Apakan and Fassier focused on exchanging
    views concerning the current phase in the process of resolving the
    Nagorno-Karabakh dispute in the light of a recent meeting between the
    presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan, which took place in Prague on
    May 7," Today's Zaman learned from reliable sources close to the talks.

    "During the meeting with Fassier, the Turkish side reiterated its
    continued support of the OSCE Minsk Group as a permanent member that
    had been there from its inception," Today's Zaman learned from the
    same sources.

    Fassier's visit to Ankara came after his meetings in Baku and
    Yerevan and days after the ongoing Turkish-Armenian reconciliation
    process appeared to encounter problems on Friday; Armenian leaders
    criticized Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, during a visit to
    Baku, for making the normalization of ties with Armenia conditional
    on a settlement in Nagorno-Karabakh, and urged him not to interfere
    in the settlement process.

    "The president said, as he repeatedly pointed out during the
    Armenian-Turkish meetings, that any Turkish attempt to interfere in
    the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh problem can only harm that
    process," a statement said.

    The statement was released by Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan's
    office after a meeting between Sarksyan and Brian Fall, Britain's
    special representative for the South Caucasus. Sarksyan said at the
    meeting that if Turkey wants to contribute to a peaceful settlement
    o the conflict, then "it had better not meddle in the process of
    conflict resolution at all."

    While speaking to reporters over the weekend in Baku ahead of
    his departure for Ankara, Fassier was quoted by the Azerbaijani
    media as saying: "This is one of the usual discussions between the
    members of the Minsk Group France and Turkey. We will discuss all
    current issues. There have recently been many visits from Turkey to
    Azerbaijan. We will discuss them."

    Normalization of Turkey-Armenia relations should not be confused
    with Armenia- Azerbaijan conflict, Fassier said, adding: "These are
    different and parallel processes.
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