NEW OSCE CHAIRMAN HOPES FOR PROGRESS IN SETTLEMENT OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT NEXT YEAR

Trend
Dec 24 2008
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec. 24/ Trend News, E. Ostapenko/ OSCE (Organization
for Security and Cooperation in Europe) hope that there will be
progress in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict next year.

"We hope in 2009 we will see progress in this direction," Dora
Bakoyannis, new OSCE chairman and Greek foreign minister, said in
her interview with Trend News.

The OSCE chairman-in-office and Finnish foreign minister Alexander
Stubb officially handed over office of the chairman to the Greek
Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis at the meeting of the OSCE foreign
ministers held in Helsinki on Dec. 4. Greece will start OSCE
chairmanship on Jan. 1.

Bakoyannis said Greece believes that frequent meetings between
Azerbaijani and Armenian representatives will lead to the establishment
of mutual confidence which essential to solve the conflict.

The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus began
in 1988 due to Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since
1992, Armenian Armed Forces have occupied 20% of Azerbaijan including
the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven surrounding districts. 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
negotiations.

"Greece fully supports these efforts and encourages constructive
engagement from both parties, in line with the Statement delivered at
the Helsinki Summit earlier this month by the French Foreign Minister
on behalf of the European Union," Bakoyannis said.

The last statement by the foreign ministers of the OSCE Minsk Group
co-chair countries says the Moscow declaration signed by the sides
opens new and promising stage in the general striving to establish
peace in the South Caucasus.

The sides confirmed their commitment to achieving resolution of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within the Minsk Group and in line with the
Basic Principles elaborated by the co-chairmen through cooperation
with the Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders on basis of their proposals
made in Madrid last year.

The Moscow Declaration signed by the leaders of Azerbaijan, Russia
and Armenia in Moscow on Nov. 2 calls for reinforcing activities of
the sides to achieve peace in the region within the OSCE Minsk Group.

"We firmly support the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all
States, within their internationally recognized borders," Bakoyannis
said.

OSCE also cannot ignore the human pain caused by the current
situation. We believe that to help the establishment of security
and stability in the region, the thousands of Internally Displaced
Persons must return to their homes, she said.