Fassier rules out possibility of Turkey's mediation in Karabakh processJuly 22, 2009 - 22:32 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Bernard Fassier of France, one of the three co-chairpersons of the OSCE Minsk Group, speaking with Today's Zaman, underlined that their primary goal was maintaining a "rapprochement" between the two sides. An eventual decision concerning the final status of the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute could be made afterwards, Fassier said.With each passing year, the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute is becoming more difficult, Fassier told Today's Zaman. "I very much hope that a war does not occur," Fassier continued, stressing that last year's clashes between the two countries, in which 30 people were killed, prove there is still a risk of war. In addition, incidents in March involving the use of guns and mortars brought the two countries to the brink of war, he said, adding: "Thank God we were able to stop the escalation of violence. If not, a new war might have erupted." During the interview, Fassier also touched upon suggestions about whether Turkey would play a role in the Nagorno-Karabakh resolution process. Recalling that Azerbaijan and Turkey consider themselves "one nation, two states," Fassier ruled out the possibility of Turkey's mediation in the process, indicating that Turkey was actually a party in the issue. "Turkey's mediation in this process is not possible. Common sense demands this," he said, while reiterating that the Nagorno-Karabakh process and the normalization efforts between Ankara and Yerevan should be considered two independent processes. Fassier, nonetheless, called the two issues "two processes within the same regional area" and admitted that any progress in one of the two processes might have a "positive and useful" impact on the other process. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | About 173 million drams and more than 30 beneficiary funds. "The Power of One Dram" is 4 years old In June 2020, the exclusive joint corporate social responsibility initiative of Idram and IDBank "The Power of One Dram" was launched. CSTO budget “to be adjusted due to Yerevan’s non-payment of contributions” The CSTO budget for the current year requires adjustments due to the refusal of Yerevan to pay their share of contributions. Russia sends note of protest to Armenia over envoy’s trip to Ukraine’s Bucha Russia has sent a note of protest to Armenia over the visit of Vladimir Karapetyan and Tigran Ter-Margaryan to Bucha. Armenia: Protesters march to parliament, some spend the night on street The protesters did not disperse despite heavy rain that began at around 2 a.m. local time. |