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1 November 2003 - 16:25 AMT

COMPROMISES ON KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT SHOULD BE MUTUALLY ACCEPTABLE, ARMENIAN FM DEPUTY STATED IN BAKU

The compromises to be made on Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement should be mutually acceptable, according to Echo Azeri newspaper, deputy to the Armenian FM Ruben Shugarian stated in Baku yesterday. To note, R. Shugarian headed the Armenian delegation at the meeting of the foreign ministers of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization member countries held in Azerbaijani capital city October 30-31. According to the newspaper, Armenia is ready for compromises and if it “were not ready, it would not agree to negotiate”. Replying to the question what kind of compromise Armenia is ready to make, the diplomat stated, “Those we will find acceptable on the basis of the negotiations held in Paris and Key West”. At the same time R. Shugarian supposes that “any decision made for Karabakh issue will be accepted by Armenian and Azeri people polysemantically”. As in his opinion, there does not exist a decision that would completely satisfy the both parties. At the same time, Armenian diplomat considers that Azerbaijan’s statements about providing Nagorno Karabakh the highest status of autonomy are unacceptable for Armenia. “It should be determined what autonomy and the highest status mean. There is no notion like that. We must not try to predestine the outcomes of the talks”, – deputy to the Armenian foreign minister said. As for the so-called “new proposes” of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, R. Shugarian noted that the “basis of the proposes and their details remain the same, as far as we are concerned”. He also expressed opinion that the Nagorno Karabakh party should join the negotiation process in “some format”.