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EU Envoy Says Azerbaijan, Armenia "Playing For Time"

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  • EU Envoy Says Azerbaijan, Armenia "Playing For Time"

    EU ENVOY SAYS AZERBAIJAN, ARMENIA "PLAYING FOR TIME"
    By Ahto Lobjakas in Brussels

    Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
    Oct 5 2006

    Both Azerbaijan and Armenia appear to be "playing for time" in
    their conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, the European Union's special
    representative for the South Caucasus, Peter Semneby, said on Thursday.

    Semneby told the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee that
    Azerbaijan in particular appears to be hoping that income from energy
    exports will make it progressively 'richer and militarily stronger.'
    "The rearmament is a serious issue, or concern, and I think it has
    contributed to a lack of urgency, if I may formulate it that way,
    on the part of Azerbaijan to seek a solution to the conflict," he said.

    But, Semneby said, Armenia is similarly playing for time. He
    said Yerevan is waiting to see "what the Kosovo settlement could
    contribute," and "hoping the situation on the ground would cement
    itself."

    However, the EU envoy said the situation of the Nagorno-Karabakh
    peace talks is "not completely hopeless," adding the Armenian and
    Azerbaijani foreign ministers will meet this week in a fresh attempt
    to break the deadlock.

    Agreement on the meeting was reached during the American, French and
    Russian mediators' visit to Baku and Yerevan earlier this week. The
    envoys said they still hope to broker a framework peace agreement in
    the coming months.
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