OSCE Chairman meets Armenian leaders, urges continuation of dialogue on Nagorno-Karabakh

YEREVAN, 17 March 2004 - The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Passy, called upon the leaders of Armenia to continue dialogue on Nagorno-Karabakh without any preconditions.

Speaking in Yerevan on Wednesday, the Chairman-in-Office said: "There is only one remedy for this conflict - dialogue. The OSCE has an important role to play but there has to be a decision by the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to sit down at the table and negotiate the right package to suit both sides."

Nagorno-Karabakh was discussed at a meeting between the OSCE Chairman-in-Office and the President of Armenia, Robert Kocharyan, as well as with Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan, Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian, and the Catholicos of All Armenians, Karekin II.

The Chairman-in-Office suggested that both sides in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict should try to take a step away from years of mutual mistrust.

"We need to overcome the historic burdens and do our outmost to cure the wounds of the past as soon as possible. We must find new directions for the next generation in Armenia and Azerbaijan," Minister Passy said.

He added that he and his interlocutors were satisfied with the OSCE's activities in Armenia. Special emphasis would continue to be placed on areas such as co-operation in the fight against corruption, democratic development, freedom of media, police training and environmental protection.

At the conclusion of his four-day trip to the Caucasus, during which he visited Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia, the Chairman-in-Office said the 55-nation OSCE was committed to helping resolve conflicts in the region.

"Time is not an ally," he said. "The sooner we move to settling the different conflicts, the better it will be for the people of the region".