No truce achieved in Paris talks

President Aliyev returned home from Paris, where he held talks with Armenian President Kocharian Tuesday.

The head of state told journalists at Bina Airport that he had met with President Kocharian on March 4. The two were joined by French President Chirac on the next day.

During the closed-door negotiations, the parties failed to achieve a major breakthrough in breaking impasse. President said both President Chirac and his Russian counterpart Putin think the Armenian-Azerbaijan conflict should be resolved this year.

Asked whether President Kocharian made any proposals or if any compromises were in the focus during the talks, President Aliyev answered negatively.

President Aliyev did not elaborate when he would meet with Kocharian again, underscoring only that President Chirac had voiced his support for direct talks.

The head of state brushed aside rumors concerning the involvement of the Garabagh Armenians in the talks, something being alleged by Armenia.

Asked why Azerbaijan doesn't dismiss the OSCE Minsk Group, since it has failed to broker a peace settlement, President Aliyev said: "What shall we do then? There is nothing else. We may reject it and leave status-quo".

Asked whether it is wise to await new proposals from the Minsk Group, President said he does not believe there would ever be new ones.*