The meeting of Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents, Robert Kocharian and Heydar Aliyev, in Key West began with the participation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs and U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell.

At the beginning of the meeting, Heydar Aliyev read out a long text, reiterating Azerbaijan’s usual accusations against Armenia. Particularly, he described Armenia as an “aggressor and organizer of separatism in Nagorno Karabakh.” The Azeri President stated also that throughout the settlement Armenia’s position was non-constructive. Heydar Aliyev also expressed displeasure with the fact that the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs took a “passive and wait-and-see policy.”

In response, Armenian President Robert Kocharian said:

“I’ve had such a long trip to Florida not to engage in propaganda here or play the role of an instructor for the mediators. I’ve come here to conduct constructive work and search solutions.”

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said that he was not surprised by Heydar Aliyev’s tough statement.

“I was waiting for both sides to outline their positions. President Aliyev described his approaches very clearly and during a long period of time. President Kocharian was more straightforward,” he noted.

Collin Powell stated that he deemed it untimely to speak about the organization of a meeting of Robert Kocharian and Heydar Aliyev with U.S. President George W. Bush.

“Negotiations will be very, very hard. President Bush will follow them very closely this week, and I think if success is obtained at a definite moment in the future the President of the United States will express desire to meet Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders. I don’t know whether it will happen this week or sometime in the future,” Collin Powell said then.

“I have had only one meeting with each of the Presidents. We haven’t begun plenary discussions yet. I think it will be wrong in the given situation if I characterize various negotiating positions,” Powell stated.

Colin Powell noted that many ideas regarding the conflict settlement are discussed. “Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents have discussed some of them with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs, with Jacques Chirac and Vladimir Putin. I wouldn’t qualify them as old or new proposals. There is a common understanding of issues and there are points on which parties still disagree. This is what we are going to discuss during the coming several days,” U.S. Secretary of State said.