Replacing co-chairs is staff rotation and no more: top Azerbaijani official

The Russian and American co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group will be replaced in 2009, Russian Co-Chair Yuri Merzlyakov said earlier.

Replacing the mediators is a technical issue, because the rotation of staff exists in all areas, said Aslanov.

Reshuffles always take place in the diplomatic sphere, respectively, he said.

"One cannot remember the names of all co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group. In any case, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs are people who express will of the state which is involved in resolving the conflict. At the same time, the Minsk Group co-chairs are the people who can have their say in determining policies of their states," he said.

Replacing the co-chairs, of course, takes time, because a new person should learn, understand and grasp the essence and history of the conflict, as well as how it says "join the team", Aslanov said.

But besides this, he said certain work have already been done and some issued have been discussed.

"Accordingly, any new co-chair will continue the agenda discussed earlier. Therefore, the replacement of the co-chairs should be considered in the context of job rotation, and no more. But we would like to believe that any new co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group will make every effort to restore justice and ensure the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan," said Aslanov.

/Trend News/