Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
Jan 18 2008

Baku, Yerevan and Khankandi Prepared to Settle Conflict – Russian
Co-chair
18.01.08 18:17

Azerbaijan, Baku, 18 January / Trend corr. S.Agayev / The OSCE Minsk
Group Co-chairs hope to reach a progress in settling of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Baku, Yerevan and Khankandi are prepared
to work in this direction, Yuri Merzlakov, the Russian Co-chair
stated.

`The 2008 may be a decisive year, as both the countries will elect
their Presidents in 2008. The new elected President will try to
tackle the most serious problems initially,’ Bernard Fassier, the
French Co-chair stated.

`We hope that the Azerbaijani and Armenian Presidents will use all of
their chances, and reach to a certain progress in settling of the
conflict,’ Fassier said.

The key basis principles, proposed by the Co-chairs, have already
been agreed, Merzlakov said. `Our approach is formed on three
principles: territorial integrity, self-definition and the refusal of
force and violence.