ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Nov 30 2007

Council of OSCE Foreign Ministers calls Armenia and Azerbaijan to
approve concept of Karabakh settlement and elaborate all-embracing
peaceful agreemen

YEREVAN, November 30. /ARKA/. The Council of the OSCE Foreign
Ministers called Armenia and Azerbaijan to approve the concept of
Karabakh settlement and start the elaboration of all-embracing
peaceful agreement, runs the OSCE Council of Foreign Ministers’
statement on Karabakh issue adopted at the session in Madrid.

`We point out with satisfaction that Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to
continue the negotiations on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict in the coming electoral year,’ ran the statement of Russia’s
Foreign Ministry’s Information and press department.

The statement said that the Council supports the mediating efforts of
the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group and together with the
conflicting sides the elaboration of the basic principles of the
peaceful settlement of the conflict.

`We decisively call both sides for overcoming the last disagreements
thus approving the common concept of the settlement and starting the
elaboration of the all-embracing peaceful agreement,’ runs the
statement.

Karabakh conflict broke out in 1988, when Nagorno-Karabakh populated
by Armenians declared secession from Azerbaijan.

On December 10, 1991, just a few days before the collapse of the
Soviet Union, a referendum was conducted in Nagorno-Karabakh with the
presence of international observers. At this referendum, 99.89% of
population voted for independence.

Responding to that, Azerbaijan launched a large-scale war against
Nagorno-Karabakh. The military offensives were stopped after a
cease-fire agreement was signed in May 12, 1994. The agreement is
observed now as well, and talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan are
under way.

Starting from 1992 negotiations on the peaceful settlement of the
conflict have being held within the OSCE Minsk Group, the Co-Chairs
of which are the USA, Russia and France. -0–