DeFacto Agency, Armenia
May 26 2006
A JOINT STATEMENT OF THE REPRESENTATIVES OF CO-CHAIRS OF THE OSCE
MINSK GROUP
Having visited Armenia, representatives of co-chair countries of the
OSCE Minsk Group for settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
issued a joint statement for the press, which specifically says, «We,
the representatives at the Deputy Minister level of the Russian
Federation, the United States and France, together with the Co-Chairs
of the OSCE Minsk Group 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.
We were received by President Kocharian and met earlier with Foreign
Minister Oskanian. 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 resolved in
no other way than a peaceful one. Both countries should, moreover,
prepare their publics for peace and not war. Our discussions, both
today in Yerevan and yesterday in Baku, were constructive. We met
yesterday with President Aliyev and Foreign Minister Mammadyarov.
Tomorrow we will return to our capitals to brief our leaders. The
Co-Chairs will, as well, brief the OSCE and the 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
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’, says the Joins Statement of the OSCE MG co-chair countries.