New chairman of OSCE: “Azerbaijani and Armenian Presidents might reach a consensus in the meeting due in February”

According to APA, he stated that, he will start visiting the Southern Caucasus countries on 24 January. Karel De Gucht said he hopes that a peace agreement will be achieved between Azerbaijan and Armenia in 2006: “There is a favorable opportunity for the talks on the Nagorno Karabakh after the elections conducted in Azerbaijan and Armenia last year. The glimmers for achieving a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia have appeared for the first time after a long break”.

OSCE chairman underlined that this deal might be achieved in the meeting of the Presidents of the two countries due in February: “The agreement might be implemented after 2006”.

Karel De Gucht said that OSCE is ready to send a peacekeeping mission to the region after the agreement: “It is up to the sides to determine whether the mission will be peacekeeping forces or observers. If the Presidents reach a consensus OSCE is ready to fulfill its mission”. He also added that, he doesn’t consider it difficult to determine a country that indents to fulfill peacekeeping mission in Nagorno Karabakh.