JOINT STATEMENT OF THE REPRESENTATIVES OF OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIR COUNTRIES

Lragir.am
26 May 06

Yerevan, May 25, 2006

We, the representatives at the Deputy Minister level of the Russian
Federation, the Unites 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 a settlement.

We were received by President Kocharian and met earlier with Foreign
Minister Oskanian. As we did yesterday in Baku, we 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 for war.

Our discussions, both today in Yerevan and yesterday in Baku, were
constructive. We met yesterday with President Aliyev and Foreign
Minister Mammedyarov.

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 a 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 Kocharian and the people of Armenia for
receiving us.