Fassier discusses Karabakh issue in Turkey

PanARMENIAN.Net - OSCE Minsk Group French Co-chair, Ambassador Bernard Fassier was in Ankara yesterday for several meetings including one with Ambassador Ertugrul Apakan, the undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry. This was Fassier's first visit to the Turkish capital in his capacity as a Co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group - a post he assumed in 2004.



"The meeting between Apakan and Fassier focused on exchanging views concerning the current phase in the process of resolving the Nagorno Karabakh dispute in the light of a recent meeting between the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan, which took place in Prague on May 7," Today's Zaman cited a source as saying.



"During the meeting with Fassier, the Turkish side reiterated its continued support of the OSCE Minsk Group as a permanent member that had been there from its inception," the source said.



While speaking to reporters over the weekend in Baku ahead of his departure for Ankara, Fassier was quoted by the Azerbaijani media as saying: "This is one of the usual discussions between the members of the Minsk Group France and Turkey. We will discuss all current issues. There have recently been many visits from Turkey to Azerbaijan. We will discuss them."