OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS WELCOME DECLARATION ON KARABAKH

De Facto
Nov 7, 2008

YEREVAN, 07.11.08. DE FACTO. The OSCE Minsk group Co-Chairs for
Karabakh conflict’s settlement welcomed signing a declaration on the
results of a meeting of Russian, Azerbaijani and Armenian Presidents
held early November in the Minedorf castle in Russia.

In the course of a press conference held on Tuesday at the OSCE
headquarters, all three Co-Chairs – Bernard Fassier (France), Yuri
Merzlyakov (Russia) and Matthew Bryza (the U. S.) – stated that
signing a document inspired optimism.

"There are personal and objective factors in the region that give
us Co-Chairs a reason for cautious or realistic optimism," Matthew
Bryza stated.

According to Bernard Fassier, among the first ones is the Moscow
meeting of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian President
Serzh Sargsian, which confirmed the constructive spirit of their
first St Petersburg meeting held in June.

"This constructive spirit allowed them to sign the first ever
declaration on the Nagorno- Karabakh peaceful process", the French
mediator noted.

In his turn Yuri Merzlyakov said that the principal goal of the
Minsk group was promoting Azerbaijani and Armenian Presidents’
regular meetings.

"After the Moscow meeting and Presidential elections held in Armenia
and Azerbaijan the meetings of the two countries’ presidents should
be held more often", he said, RIA Novosti reports.