Government of France, Press Release
Oct 25 2006

Armenia/Azerbaijan: OSCE Minsk group – Oct 2006

Since the beginning of 2006 the American, French and Russian
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group have been endeavoring to persuade
the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan to back the fundamental
principles of the future solution to the conflict in Upper Karabakh.

A first draft of this "document of principles" was examined at the
Rambouillet summit on February 10. A second version was presented to
the two heads of state by the mediators at the summit they held in
Bucharest on June 5. The heads of state and government of the G8
countries, at their meeting in St Petersburg, invited the parties to
re-examine it before the end of the year.

The new round of negotiations on this working document was begun by
the mediators in Moscow on October 6 and will continue in Paris
tomorrow. The aim is to get the parties’ reactions to the additional
proposals put forward by the mediators, with the expectation of
finalizing an enhanced version of the document of principles. The
latest version would be submitted to the two presidents at a new
meeting, which would be their third in 2006.

As part of the continued efforts by the OSCE Minsk Group mediators to
help Armenia and Azerbaijan reach a settlement to the conflict in
Upper Karabakh, efforts which President Jacques Chirac emphasized
again during his recent visit to Yerevan, the three American, French
and Russian co-chairs have invited the ministers of the two countries
for another meeting.

Foreign Minister Elmar Mammediarov of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and
his American counterpart Vartan Oskanian will accordingly meet in
Paris on October 24, 2006 for a negotiating session with the Minsk
Group co-chairs.

At that time Elmar Mammediarov will be received by Foreign Minister
Philippe Douste-Blazy on Monday, October 23. Vartan Oskanian will be
received by the minister on Tuesday, October 24.

The principles of the settlement, proposed by the mediators and
endorsed by the heads of state and government at the G8 summit in St
Petersburg, remain on the negotiating table.

With the agreement of the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan, whom
the mediators met at the beginning of October, a new round of
negotiations has been launched. It began in Moscow on October 6 and
will be continued Paris next week, with the parties considering
additional proposals from the mediators.

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