January 12, 2006 - 16:33 AMT
Merzlyakov: Speaking of Peacekeeping in Karabakh Premature
In an interview to Radiolur program of the Armenian Public Radio OSCE Minsk Group Russian Co-Chair Yuri Merzlyakov said that during their London meeting scheduled January 17-18 Armenian and Azeri FMs will discuss «issues not agreed upon yet that refer to basic principles of settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.» In his words, the mediators consider the talks of the two FMs as a preparation element to the meeting of the presidents. He called speaking about planning the peacekeeping in the zone of the Karabakh conflict «premature.» The Russian diplomat emphasized that the parties have not discussed the standards of peacekeeping activities in detail yet. «Unless the parties have reached an agreement over basic settlement principles, speaking of peacekeeping actions is premature,» Yu. Merzlyakov emphasized.