Aliyev commends improved MG work

Receiving co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group Carey Cavanaugh, Philip de Sourimayne and Nikolay Gribkov Friday, President Aliyev said "the Group had finally started active work after a long hibernation".

"We look forward to new steps on your part", he said.

Mr. Cavanaugh responded that "courageous steps will have to be taken to achieve peace and make serious compromises".

Informing the President of the co-chairs' intention to travel to a refugee camp in Agjabadi and then to Agdam, the diplomat indicated that the possibility of tackling restoration operations would be studied in Agdam.

Mr. Cavanaugh added that after peace is achieved in the region, co-chairs would try to mobilize the international community to assist in restoration work.

"We are working not only on a peace treaty, but also in the name of the future rehabilitation", he said.

President Aliyev encouraged the co-chairs' intention to visit Agjabadi and Agdam, saying that they should themselves witness the destruction there. Indicating that there is no destruction in Upper Garabagh and Armenia, the head of state announced that the 7 occupied Azeri provinces are completely ruined.

Front-line concerns

US co-chair in the OSCE Minsk Group Carey Cavanaugh has voiced his concern over the current situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijan frontline.

He expressed his sentiments Friday night during a joint news conference of three MG co-chairs at the US embassy in Baku.

According to Mr. Cavanaugh, co-chairs, in cooperation with representatives of Defense Ministries of the parties to the conflict, intend to evaluate the situation and lay out measures necessary to improve it.

Although there have been no official cease-fire violation reports, observers say they are quite frequent nonetheless.

Speaking of the co-chairs' meeting with President Aliyev, Mr. Cavanaugh described it as "very productive and lengthy".

When asked by journalists about the essence of "serious compromises" that the parties to the conflict are anticipated to make, Mr. Cavanaugh replied that he couldn't elaborate that in order not to betray the trust of the Presidents he had been enjoying. The point is that Aliyev and Kocharian have agreed to disclose the gist of all compromise only after comprehensive understanding on all settlement-related issues is achieved.

In response to a question, Russian co-chair of the Minsk Group Nikolai Gribkov stated that Russian military presence in Armenia has nothing to do with the Garabagh problem and Russian military units will never be used against Azerbaijan.

In regard to the possibility of Armenia's reimbursing the damage it has inflicted on Azerbaijan since the start of the conflict, Mr. Cavanaugh said this issue was currently under consideration.

Concerning a recent visit to France by a delegation of the self-proclaimed Upper Garabagh government led by the so-called president Gukasian, the French co-chair in the MG said the trip was informal. The delegation had come to France as citizens of Armenia on the invitation of Armenian Diaspora and was not received by any French government member.

On Saturday, after visiting Azeri refugees in Agjabadi and Agdam the co-chairs crossed the frontline for the first time and headed for Agdara (Mardakert) and then for Shusha and Khannaki.

Opposition

On the following day, the Minsk Group co-chairs met with the chairman of the PFPA reform wing Ali Karimov, secretary of Musavat Arif Hajiyev and a PNIA representative Nazim Imanov (as chairmen of the last two parties are out of town) at Hyatt Regency Hotel of Baku.

Opposition leaders disclosed their vision of the current status in the Garabagh talks.

Saying that the positions of the Azerbaijan government and opposition in the settlement issue largely overlap, the co-chairs indicated that they are aware of the UN SC resolutions on recognition of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity.

Co-chairs think the parties should try to seek common ground between the rights for territorial integrity and for self-identification.

The OSCE officials dismissed speculations that the Geneva meeting would be held on June 15, saying it would be held sooner than that.

Russian co-chair of the Minsk Group Mr. Gribkov said he does not believe a peace treaty could be signed any time soon, according to the Musavat press-service.

According to A. Karimov, the meeting was quite useful, because the co-chairs have been informed of the opinion of the opposition, "which is based on the opinion of the majority of the Azerbaijan people".