Cavanaugh negotiates upcoming geneva talks with Aliyev

The US Minsk Group co-chair Carry Cavanaugh arrived in Baku Saturday to negotiate with President Aliyev the technical aspects of the upcoming Geneva talks between Armenian and Azeri Presidents.

The visit follows the Key West talks between the two Presidents, where certain details of the next summit in Geneva were not agreed upon.

The Geneva negotiations are scheduled for June 15-17 in the three-plus-two format.

Mr. Cavanaugh had received the mandate from his Russian and French fellow co-chairs in the Group.

Receiving the distinguished diplomat, the President recalled the productive Key West negotiations and said he had held an important meeting with President Bush. The Azeri President underscored the significance of Mr. Cavanaugh's current visit, saying it was necessary to continue pacing along the track beaten in Key West.

Reiterating his remarks on the progress achieved in Key West, Mr. Cavanaugh voiced his intention to continue the negotiations. Then the parties asked journalists to leave as the closed-door meeting lasted 4 hours.

Mr. Cavanaugh left Baku for Vienna Saturday, where OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs discussed a Garabagh settlement plan on May 7, this time without the participation of Azerbaijan and Armenia. Some sources say that this plan will be retabled in the Geneva talks.

There have been media publications this week suggesting the possibility of a peace agreement being signed in Geneva. The expectations were brushed off by President Kocharian who announced Monday that signing was not anticipated to take place in Geneva, as parties will largely focus on the shape of documents.

If a peace plan is agreed upon, the Geneva talks will specify the timing and location of a comprehensive peace treaty, Mr. Kocharian said.

On May 10, Mr. Cavanaugh will meet with Armenian President Kocharian.

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An independent political commentator, former top foreign political adviser to the Azerbaijan Government Vafa Guluzadeh has said the Garabagh peace treaty will not be signed during the June meeting of the two Presidents, who will also be joined by the three MG co-chairs.

He added that details of the agreement must be revealed to the people of Azerbaijan and a referendum held. In his opinion, neither Armenians nor Azeris are ready to accept the provisions of the peace agreement.

Although details of an armistice agreement are still being withheld, reports have leaked to the press that Azerbaijan is allegedly going to provide Upper Garabagh with the highest self-administration status and a corridor to Armenia.

Armenia, in turn, is believed to be providing a corridor between Nakhchivan and the rest of Azerbaijan. As is known, Nakhchivan has been under a ruthless economic blockade on part of Armenia for 10 years.

A member of the PNIA political council Nazim Imanov thinks it wrong that the highest status for Upper Garabagh should imply that it would have its own budget and taxes, especially VAT and excises. These taxes, he said, are formed considering the economic territory of a country, while Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, in addition to political aspects, has an economic part to it.