YEREVAN (Combined Sources)–The Russian co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Yuri Merzliakov refuted recent reports in the Azeri press–following the September 16 meeting between Armenian president Robert Kocharian–and Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev–in Astana Kazakhstan.
According to those accounts–Merzliakov was quoted as saying that one of the proposals discussed concerned the pullout of Armenian forces from the "occupied territories in the vicinity of Karabagh–the return of refugees–and guarantees for their security," and that the proposals of the OSCE co-chairs maintain the "principle of territorial integrity of Azerbaijan."
Asking for clarification–the Armenian foreign ministry press and information department received a direct response from Merzliakov who said that no such statemen’s or commen’s were made to the reporters–neither during the meeting in Astana–nor afterwards.