November 10, 2004 - 17:47 AMT
VARDAN OSKANIAN: OSCE MG CO-CHAIRS TODAY DO NOT PROPOSE OPTIONS OF KARABAKH SETTLEMENT
The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs today do not propose options of settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, but behave merely as mediators, Armenian Foreign Minister Vadan Oskanian told RFE/RL. "There are no contradictions between the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, specifically, US ambassador Steven Mann, and us," the Minister emphasized. As of the transfer of the issue of the so-called "occupied territories" of Azerbaijan to the UN, the Minister considered the step of official Baku as a serious fault. In Vardan Oskanian's words, Azerbaijan should not expect that on the one hand she will be able to resume Prague talks, and on the other - to solve a range of issues in another structure. "Either we work within the OSCE Minsk Group framework to finally settle the Karabakh problem, or Azerbaijan tries to solve package issues separately. However, in the latter case official Baku should deal with the Nagorno Karabakh Republic leadership," the Minister noted. As noted by V. Oskanian, Armenia is ready even tomorrow to resume Prague negotiations, in the course of the first round of which considerable outcomes were achieved.