MEDIATORS WELCOME "ACHIEVEMENTS" IN KARABAKH PEACE TALKS

Azeri press agency
July 22 2008
Azerbaijan

The co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group, Matthew Bryza (USA), Bernard
Fassier (France), and Yuriy Merzlyakov (Russia), issued a joint
statement today. In their statement, they welcome the constructive
achievements reached between the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents
during their meeting in St Petersburg on 6 July, APA news agency
has learnt.

They also said that they were satisfied with their trip to the
region which took place on 27-28 June. "At this important moment, the
co-chairmen call on all parties to refrain from maximalist initiatives
at the negotiating table and in their public statements, and to avoid
all belligerent rhetoric, as we work together in pursuit of a peaceful
settlement of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict," the co-chairs said in
their joint statement.

The co-chairs said that there was no military solution to the Nagornyy
Karabakh conflict. "Both presidents called for invigorated talks
within the framework of the Minsk Group during their meeting in St
Petersburg. The co-chairs look forward to the next meeting between
the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers in the coming weeks
to press forward with negotiations on the basic principles of the
peaceful settlement of the conflict," the co-chairs said.