OSCE CO-CHAIR COUNTRIES REPRESENTATIVES DISCUSS NK CONFLICT SETTLEMENT ASPECTS

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
May 25 2006

YEREVAN, May 25. /ARKA/. OSCE Co-Chair countries representatives are
satisfied with their visit to Armenia and leave Yerevan with hopes
and expectations of progress.

“We, the representatives at the Deputy Minister level of the Russian
Federation, the United States and France, together with the Co-Chairs
and the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, have
come together in this joint diplomatic mission because of the need
to promote a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and
because now is the time for the sides to reach agreement on the basic
principles of the settlement”, OSCE Co-Chair countries representatives
said in their statement read up Thursday in Yerevan for press.

“We were received by President Kocharyan and met earlier with Foreign
Minister Oskanyan. As we did yesterday in Baku, we have discussed
important aspects of a future settlement. We have worked to create
the conditions for a meeting of the two presidents in the near
future. We have stressed the belief of our nations and, more widely,
of the international community that the conflict can be solved in
no other way than a peaceful one. Both countries should, moreover,
prepare their publics for peace and not for war.

Our discussions, both today in Yerevan and yesterday in Baku, were
constructive. We met yesterday with President Aliev and Foreign
Minister Mammadyarov. Tomorrow we will return to our capitals to
brief our leaders. The Co-Chairs will, as well, brief theOSCE and
international community.

A joint mission such as this one is a special event. It must be taken
as a sign of the seriousness with which we approach the issue and,
in particular, a belief that we are at the point where a mutually
beneficial agreement is achievable. What happens now will be up
to Armenia and Azerbaijan. We leave with hopes and expectations of
the progress. We are pleased to be in Yerevan and wish to express
our gratitude to President Kocharyan and the people of Armenia for
receiving us”, the statement says.

The joint statement was read up by the Adviser to the U.S. Secretary
of State Daniel Fried, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigori
Karasin and Ambassador Pier Morel, French Foreign Ministry
Representative.