Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
Dec 4 2008
Foreign Ministers of Russia, France and US Urge Azerbaijan, Armenia to
Launch Work on Draft Peace Agreement based on Basic Principles
04.12.08 16:26
Finland, Helsinki, 4 Dec/ Trend News corr I. Gusatinskaya/ Foreign
Ministers of co-chair countries of the OSCE Minsk Group ` Russia, the
United States and France urged Azerbaijan and Armenia to make efforts
in the coming months to complete work on the Basic Principles of the
resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Foreign Ministers of the of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries
Sergey Lavrov (Russia), Bernard Kouchner (France) and US Assistant US
Secretary of State Daniel Fried made a joint statement on the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in Helsinki.
`We urge parties to make efforts in the coming months to complete work
on the Basic Principles of the settlement and negotiate draft
agreement on this basis,’ according to the joint statement by the
Russian, U.S. and French Foreign Ministers read out by the Russian
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at conclusion of the meeting in
Helsinki.
Armenia has occupied 20% of Azerbaijan’s territory ` Nagorno-Karabakh
and seven surrounding regions. The occupation began in
1988. Azerbaijan lost the Nagorno-Karabakh, except of Shusha and
Khojali, in December 1991. In 1992-93, Armenian Armed Forces occupied
Shusha, Khojali and Nagorno-Karabakh’s seven surrounding regions. In
1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which
time the active hostilities ended. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk
Group (Russia, France, and the US) are currently holding peaceful, but
fruitless negotiations.
Ministers called on the conflicting countries to use a constructive
and positive impulse coming from the Moscow meeting among the
Presidents of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia on 2 Nov 2008.
In the Moscow Declaration inked as a result of the trilateral
presidential meeting, Presidents confirm their adherence to peace
settlement of the conflict within the Minsk Group on the basis of
Madrid principles, the statement says.
Ministers also called on the parties to the conflict to implement the
trust-fortifying measures, to commence withdrawal of snipers in order
to preserve the lives of civilians and military.
`The conflict does not have military solution and we call on parties
to confirm their commitment to the peaceful settlement,’ the statement
said.