BAKU (Reuters)–Armenian president Robert Kocharian and his Azeri counterpart Haydar Aliyev will meet in Geneva on Saturday to discuss the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh–the Azeri presidential press service said on Thursday.
"According to an earlier agreement that the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan will meet to discuss a solution to the Karabakh conflict–Haydar Aliyev will fly to Geneva on August 21," it said.
Aliyev and Kocharian met last month in Geneva but failed to achieve any substantial progress in resolving the dispute.
Aliyev said both sides needed to compromise to break the deadlock at the negotiations but did not elaborate.
Meanwhile in Tbilisi–Georgian presidential foreign policy adviser Shalva Pichkhadze told Interfax news agency that the presidents of Georgia–Azerbaijan and Armenia may meet in Tbilisi before the end of the year,.
Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze and his Azeri and Armenian counterparts agreed to meet for this summit during NATO’s 50th anniversary celebrations in Washington.
Georgia is preparing for this meeting "very intensively," Pichkhadze said. The three countries’ prime ministers are likely to participate in the preparations–he added.
Economic issues–notably Armenia’s becoming party to the Euro- Asian transportation corridor project–and oil transit issues will be discussed during the summit–he said. Political issues will also be high on the agenda.
US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright–the foreign ministers of Russia–Britain–Germany–France and Turkey and the OSCE chairman will also attend the summit–he said.