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BAKU: High-Ranking US Official To Succeed Garabagh Mediator

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  • BAKU: High-Ranking US Official To Succeed Garabagh Mediator

    HIGH-RANKING US OFFICIAL TO SUCCEED GARABAGH MEDIATOR

    Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
    Posted June 19 2006

    Baku, June 16, AssA-Irada
    US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian
    Affairs Matthew Bryza will succeed Steven Mann as the American co-chair
    of the OSCE Minsk Group mediating settlement to the Armenia-Azerbaijan
    Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict, says Armenian Foreign Minister
    Vardan Oskanian. He said the new appointment must be approved by the
    OSCE Permanent Council at its meeting in Vienna next week.

    Oskanian did not rule out that the diplomat will visit the region
    after being approved for the post.

    Touching on the latest meeting between Azeri and Armenian foreign
    ministers in Paris, Oskanian said the discussions targeted seeking a
    common approach to the issues that were not agreed during the prior
    meeting between the two leaders in Bucharest. "I can't say that we
    achieved the goal. However, the meeting was beneficial and the talks
    will be continued."

    The Armenian minister said it is premature to talk about the next
    meeting of the two presidents, as it would be futile in the absence
    of any rapprochement between the positions of the conflicting sides.

    The latest talks between the two leaders in Bucharest and Rambouillet
    did not produce any results.

    Political analyst, director of the Center of Political Innovation
    and Technologies, Mubariz Ahmadoglu, praised the new appointment. "As
    I understand, Matthew Bryza knows the region just as well as Steven
    Mann. He has repeatedly visited Azerbaijan and Armenia. His attitude
    toward Azerbaijan could be considered objective," he told AssA-Irada.

    The expert said that greater hopes should be bound with Bryza than
    his predecessor, considering his higher status.

    "Mann used to come here and hold meetings and then report to the US
    Department of State. These reports, along with others, then reached
    Matthew Bryza. The latter, however, is able to keep in touch directly
    with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice."

    Ahmadoglu said that Russia and France will soon replace their co-chairs
    with more high-ranking officials as well.

    "It is very likely that co-chairing counties will set up a group of
    low-profile diplomats. The taskforce will be permanently working in
    the region," the analyst added.

    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
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