OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS: "WE RECOGNIZE AZERBAIJAN’S TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY, BUT WE DON’T RECOGNIZE NAGORNO KARABAKH’S INDEPENDENCE"
Azeri Press Agency
March 20 2008
Azerbaijan
Vienna-APA. The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs Matthew Bryza (USA),
Bernard Fassie (France) and Yuri Merzlyakov (Russia) made a joint
statement on their meeting with Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and
Armenia in Paris on March 15.
OSCE Headquarters in Vienna reports APA that the OSCE Minsk Group
Co-Chairs reminded that they recognized the territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan, but they did not recognize the independence of Nagorno
Karabakh: "We also support the idea that Nagorno Karabakh status is a
subject matter of negotiations between the parties. We are confident
that peaceful and just solution of the conflict makes both parties
settle for a compromise. For this very reason, we consider to stop
the break in negotiations due to the presidential elections in Armenia
and resume talks", the statement reads.
The co-chairs express satisfaction with Azerbaijani and Armenian
Foreign Ministers’ readiness to resume negotiations. "We recommend
both foreign ministers to organize a meeting of Azerbaijani and
Armenian leaders as soon as possible this year. We do believe that the
meeting will be held sooner. The document titled "Basic principles on
peaceful regulation of Nagorno Karabakh conflict" presented to both
parties in November 29 in Madrid will be priority", the statement
reads. Touching upon the recent cease-fire violation in the line of
contact, the co-chairs called on both parties to seriously follow
the cease-fire agreement.