I ENCOURAGE ALL PARTIES TO SEEK THE RESOLUTION OF THIS ISSUE THROUGH
POLITICAL DIALOGUE, SAYS OSCE CHAIRMAN-IN-OFFICE

AzerTag
[April 02, 2005, 22:20:48]

The OSCE Baku office has released a statement to sup up the visit by
the organization’s Chairman-in-Office, Foreign Minister of Slovenia
Dmitrij Rupel to Azerbaijan. The statement says: `In talks with
Azerbaijani officials, the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Slovenian Foreign
Minister Dimitrij Rupel, continued to pursue ways of reaching a
lasting solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Minister Rupel
reaffirmed his conviction that every existing avenue to accelerate
this peace process should be explored to the full: “I encourage all
parties to seek the resolution of this issue through political
dialogue. Any means other than those of a peaceful nature are not part
of the OSCE’s vocabulary”, he said. He called for the stabilization of
the situation along the frontlines. “To defuse the present tension
and start developing confidence between the sides, ceasefire
violations must stop.” Mr. Rupel said he would like to seethe year
2005 as a turning-point in the process of resolving the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. `The personal engagement of the two
Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia is an important milestone on the
path to this objective. We hope that the peaceful resolution of the
conflict will have the full support of the Azerbaijani community of
Nagorno-Karabakh”‘ he said. The Minister also said the OSCE welcomed
the President’s recent decree pardoning 115 persons, expressing hope `
this step will promote civil reconciliation’. He emphasized the
readiness of the OSCE to continue assisting Azerbaijan in implementing
various reforms in the country.