Mediators hope for progress at June 4 talks
International mediators negotiating a settlement to
the Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict hope for substantial progress
at the June 4 meeting between the Azerbaijani and Armenian
presidents, Mathew Bryza, the US co-chairman of the mediating OSCE
Minsk Group, said during a visit to Baku on Friday.
Bryza noted that the mediators had come to the Azerbaijani capital to continue setting the stage for the upcoming talks between Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Serzh Sarkisian in the Russian city of St. Petersburg.
The co-chairs, who arrived in Baku from the Armenian capital Yerevan on Thursday night, said they were unable to also visit Khankandi, the center of the self-proclaimed Upper Garabagh republic, due to inclement weather.
Bryza disagreed with statements that no advances had been achieved in the peace process at the meeting held by Presidents Aliyev and Sarkisian on May 7 in Prague.
"I am aware that some say the meeting was fruitless. But I wouldn`t say that. The presidents conducted themselves very constructively in Prague. They treat talks on the conflict resolution very seriously. Both leaders are defending the positions of their countries, and this is natural. Further, we hope for more substantial progress in the conflict settlement at the next meeting of the two heads of state."
Commenting on the statement by Novruz Mammadov, head of the Azerbaijan President`s Office international relations department, who said the talks in the Czech capital were not constructive, the US co-chairman said: "Mr. Mammadov did not attend the Prague meeting. True, he may have his own views. I and my counterparts have our own views too. And, summing up the overall opinion of the co-chairs, we concluded that the Prague meeting was constructive."
Bernard Fassier, the French co-chairman, concurred with Bryza. He said the forthcoming talks in St. Petersburg, which will be the fifth meeting of the two presidents in a year`s time, indicate ongoing progress in the peace process.
"One shouldn`t assess a single meeting alone. The work we have done could be described as a film. So, one should watch not separate parts, but, rather, the whole film. The intensifying presidential meetings could be deemed as progress," Fassier said.
Further, the French co-chair recalled the visit he paid to Turkey last week.
"As you know, we are holding talks on two processes in this region. One of them is the Garabagh conflict settlement, while the other one is Turkey-Armenia relations. Therefore, the co-chairs` negotiating in Ankara is normal," he said.
During their visit to Baku, the co-chairs met with President Aliyev and Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov for discussions focusing on the current state and prospects for Garabagh talks.
The mediators left Baku on Friday evening and headed to Yerevan again. While in the Armenian capital, they had meetings with the country`s president and foreign minister on Saturday. Details of the discussions were not released.
Garabagh talks have further intensified of late, as was noted by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in his congratulatory speech marking the Day of Republic, May 28.
"Negotiations have assumed more intensity today. As always, Azerbaijan is adhering to a constructive and fair position based on international law. Currently on the negotiating table is the issue of returning all occupied lands to Azerbaijan and the return of all displaced persons to their homes. Upper Garabagh will not be an independent state - neither today, nor in 10 or 100 years. Azerbaijan`s stance is unequivocal, and, despite all the pressure, we will stand by it to the end."
The president emphasized that no results have yet been achieved in the negotiations due to Armenia`s deliberately delaying peace talks.
"Unfortunately, in spite of all the efforts made, we have not managed to achieve a solution to the problem. And this has only one reason - Armenia`s non-constructive position and its tactics of artificially prolonging the negotiating process. It is no longer a secret that this tactics is being used by Armenia, but, it has no prospects of succeeding," the Azerbaijani leader warned.
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 adjacent Azerbaijani districts in defiance of international law. Despite numerous rounds of OSCE-brokered negotiations, peace talks have been without results so far and refugees remain stranded.
Bryza noted that the mediators had come to the Azerbaijani capital to continue setting the stage for the upcoming talks between Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Serzh Sarkisian in the Russian city of St. Petersburg.
The co-chairs, who arrived in Baku from the Armenian capital Yerevan on Thursday night, said they were unable to also visit Khankandi, the center of the self-proclaimed Upper Garabagh republic, due to inclement weather.
Bryza disagreed with statements that no advances had been achieved in the peace process at the meeting held by Presidents Aliyev and Sarkisian on May 7 in Prague.
"I am aware that some say the meeting was fruitless. But I wouldn`t say that. The presidents conducted themselves very constructively in Prague. They treat talks on the conflict resolution very seriously. Both leaders are defending the positions of their countries, and this is natural. Further, we hope for more substantial progress in the conflict settlement at the next meeting of the two heads of state."
Commenting on the statement by Novruz Mammadov, head of the Azerbaijan President`s Office international relations department, who said the talks in the Czech capital were not constructive, the US co-chairman said: "Mr. Mammadov did not attend the Prague meeting. True, he may have his own views. I and my counterparts have our own views too. And, summing up the overall opinion of the co-chairs, we concluded that the Prague meeting was constructive."
Bernard Fassier, the French co-chairman, concurred with Bryza. He said the forthcoming talks in St. Petersburg, which will be the fifth meeting of the two presidents in a year`s time, indicate ongoing progress in the peace process.
"One shouldn`t assess a single meeting alone. The work we have done could be described as a film. So, one should watch not separate parts, but, rather, the whole film. The intensifying presidential meetings could be deemed as progress," Fassier said.
Further, the French co-chair recalled the visit he paid to Turkey last week.
"As you know, we are holding talks on two processes in this region. One of them is the Garabagh conflict settlement, while the other one is Turkey-Armenia relations. Therefore, the co-chairs` negotiating in Ankara is normal," he said.
During their visit to Baku, the co-chairs met with President Aliyev and Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov for discussions focusing on the current state and prospects for Garabagh talks.
The mediators left Baku on Friday evening and headed to Yerevan again. While in the Armenian capital, they had meetings with the country`s president and foreign minister on Saturday. Details of the discussions were not released.
Garabagh talks have further intensified of late, as was noted by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in his congratulatory speech marking the Day of Republic, May 28.
"Negotiations have assumed more intensity today. As always, Azerbaijan is adhering to a constructive and fair position based on international law. Currently on the negotiating table is the issue of returning all occupied lands to Azerbaijan and the return of all displaced persons to their homes. Upper Garabagh will not be an independent state - neither today, nor in 10 or 100 years. Azerbaijan`s stance is unequivocal, and, despite all the pressure, we will stand by it to the end."
The president emphasized that no results have yet been achieved in the negotiations due to Armenia`s deliberately delaying peace talks.
"Unfortunately, in spite of all the efforts made, we have not managed to achieve a solution to the problem. And this has only one reason - Armenia`s non-constructive position and its tactics of artificially prolonging the negotiating process. It is no longer a secret that this tactics is being used by Armenia, but, it has no prospects of succeeding," the Azerbaijani leader warned.
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 adjacent Azerbaijani districts in defiance of international law. Despite numerous rounds of OSCE-brokered negotiations, peace talks have been without results so far and refugees remain stranded.
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