OSCE MG CO-CHAIRS: CONFIDENCE BETWEEN CONFLICTING PARTIES TO BE STRENGTHENED STEP BY STEP
De Facto
Nov 17, 2008
STEPANAKERT, 17.11.08. DE FACTO. In Stepanakert on November 15 the
OSCE Minsk group Russian Co-Chair Yuri Merzlyakov stated that basic
principles of the Karabakh conflict settlement proposed in Madrid "are
a great impetus to activate our efforts and they open up additional
possibilities to act in the channel of the Moscow declaration’s
provisions signed by the three presidents".
According to DE FACTO own correspondent in Stepanakert, noting with
regret that for 14 years after signing a cease-fire agreement the
conflict had not been settled, Yuri Merzlyakov expressed hope that
it would become possible now. "I hope we’ll manage to initiate the
presidents’ current meeting, however, we do not know where and how
so far", Yuri Merzlyakov said.
In his turn, Minsk group French and American Co-Chairs Bernard Fassier
and Matthew Bryza spoke up for the necessity to strengthen confidence
between the conflicting parties step by step, stating it was their
work’s important direction. "Not a single life should be lost because
of tension on the contact line", the American diplomat said.
Touching on the future agreement on Nagorno-Karabakh Matthew Bryza
noted it should be balanced both for Armenian and Azeri party. "The
Moscow declaration’s principles=2 0should be necessarily included in
the future agreement", the American diplomat underscored. At that
he noted there could not be any agreement without Nagorno-Karabakh
people’s consent. In this connection Yuri Merzlyakov also underscored
the necessity of Nagorno-Karabakh representatives’ participation in
elaboration of the future agreement’s text.
A meeting of the international mediators with NKR President Bako
Sahakian was held on November 15. Yuri Merzlyakov called the meeting
constructive, stating that the NKR head "gave the most positive
estimation of the declaration signed in Moscow".