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ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
November 22, 2006 Wednesday
Kocharyan agree to meet Aliyev in Minsk over Karabakh - diplomat
by Tigran Liloyan
Armenia has agreed to hold a meeting between the presidents of
Armenia and Azerbaijan as part of the CIS summit to take place in
Minsk on November 28, said Yuri Merzlyakov, Russian co-chairman of
the Minsk Group for Nagorno-Karabakh.
The meeting of the presidents' mediators yielded results, the Russian
ambassador said on Wednesday before his departure to Baku.
In his words, ``it is necessary to receive Azerbaijani President
Ilkham Aliyev's approval'' although earlier the Azerbaijani foreign
minister ``made a corresponding statement to this effect''.
The Russian co-chairman said U.S. ambassador Matthew Bryza's absence
is conditioned by the fact that the co-chairmen ``agreed to divide
their obligations. These days the American colleague is to meet
Nagorno-Karabakh leader Arkady Gukasyan, who is currently in the
United States.''
Merzlyakov believes, ``In general, the year is rather optimistic for
us. If we manage to do this, we have good prospects in 2007.''
French co-chairman Bernard Fassier said he is hopeful that the
presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan ``will succeed in bringing
closer their positions on certain difficult issues.''
Recently military rhetoric has become ``more subdued'' and it has not
prevented the 2006 key task - to organise a meeting between the
presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan. ``Military rhetoric impedes the
negotiating process on the Karabakh settlement whether such
statements are made on the eve of important meetings,'' the Russian
co-chairman stressed.
``The co-chairman have a common position - the war is not a real
possibility to solve the conflict,'' Fassier added.
November 22, 2006 Wednesday
Kocharyan agree to meet Aliyev in Minsk over Karabakh - diplomat
by Tigran Liloyan
Armenia has agreed to hold a meeting between the presidents of
Armenia and Azerbaijan as part of the CIS summit to take place in
Minsk on November 28, said Yuri Merzlyakov, Russian co-chairman of
the Minsk Group for Nagorno-Karabakh.
The meeting of the presidents' mediators yielded results, the Russian
ambassador said on Wednesday before his departure to Baku.
In his words, ``it is necessary to receive Azerbaijani President
Ilkham Aliyev's approval'' although earlier the Azerbaijani foreign
minister ``made a corresponding statement to this effect''.
The Russian co-chairman said U.S. ambassador Matthew Bryza's absence
is conditioned by the fact that the co-chairmen ``agreed to divide
their obligations. These days the American colleague is to meet
Nagorno-Karabakh leader Arkady Gukasyan, who is currently in the
United States.''
Merzlyakov believes, ``In general, the year is rather optimistic for
us. If we manage to do this, we have good prospects in 2007.''
French co-chairman Bernard Fassier said he is hopeful that the
presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan ``will succeed in bringing
closer their positions on certain difficult issues.''
Recently military rhetoric has become ``more subdued'' and it has not
prevented the 2006 key task - to organise a meeting between the
presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan. ``Military rhetoric impedes the
negotiating process on the Karabakh settlement whether such
statements are made on the eve of important meetings,'' the Russian
co-chairman stressed.
``The co-chairman have a common position - the war is not a real
possibility to solve the conflict,'' Fassier added.