Armenian and Azeri Leaders May Animate Karabakh Process

Azerbaijani and Armenian Presidents will breathe life into efforts to resolve the long-running Nagorno Karabakh conflict when they meet tomorrow in Minsk on the sidelines of a Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) summit, reports Turkish Daily News. The new round of top-level diplomacy may be a surprise to many, since it comes at a time when Armenia is bracing for parliamentary elections, scheduled for May 2007. Few expected the two leaders to meet again after their high-hope February talks behind closed doors at Rambouillet Castle near Paris failed to produce any visible progress. International pressure and Armenia’s growing isolation in the region may be the key reason it is opting for a fresh diplomatic drive on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, diplomats and analysts say.