OSCE chief meets with Karabakh leader in Yerevan

05.06.2007

YEREVAN, June 5 (Itar-Tass) -- Chairman-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos met on Tuesday with president of the unrecognized republic of Nagorny Karabakh Arkady Gukasyan.

Moratinos made no statement for the mass media after the 40-minute-long meeting with Gukasyan at the Karabakh permanent mission in Armenia.

Gukasyan, in turn, said the talks were initiated by the OSCE chairman-in-office, who had expressed the wish to hear the Karabakh stance regarding all aspects of the settlement.

“It is impossible to get all you wish from the negotiations, but, on the other hand, there is no alternative to the talks,” Gukasyan said.

In Gukasyan words, “the Karabakh status is on the top of the negotiations. If there is no consent concerning this issue, the discussion on other problems is senseless.”

Stepanakert adheres to the position that “Nagorny Karabakh will never agree to become a part of Azerbaijan and never give up its independence,” Gukasyan said.

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