May 23, 2006 - 18:05 AMT
Karel de Gucht Does Not Believe Karabakh Conflict Will Be Settled in 2006
«I am not a pessimist, however there is not enough optimism in me to believe in settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict in 2006, Belgian Foreign Minister, OSCE Chairman-in-Office Karel de Gucht stated in an interview with RFE/RL. In his words, the OSCE does its best to attain an agreement over settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. «The faith that the conflict will be settled soon increases sometimes, while sometimes it weakens,» de Gucht noted.

At that he proposed that the OSCE make every effort to settle the conflict before expiration of Belgium's presidency term. «Everything depends on Azerbaijan and Armenia. Just Baku and Yerevan should come to an agreement with each other, the OSCE can only support them,» the OSCE Chairman-in-Office said.

Karel de Gucht also reported that such unsettled matters, as closed Armenian-Turkish border, delay the process of settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.