CO-CHAIRS HOPE THE SIDES WILL BE ABLE TO BRIDGE THE REMAINING DIFFERENCES IN THE NEAREST FUTURE

armradio.am
29.01.2009 15:58

The Co-Chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group released the following
statement today:

"The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Ambassador Bernard Fassier
– France; Ambassador Yuri Merzlyakov – Russian Federation; Deputy
Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Bryza – United States) traveled
to Baku on January 19, 2009, where they met with President Ilham
Aliyev and Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, and to Yerevan on
January 20, 2009, where they met with President Serzh Sargsyan and
Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian.

The Co-Chairs met again jointly with Foreign Ministers Mammadyarov
and Nalbandian in Zurich on January 27, 2009, and organized a joint
meeting with Presidents Aliyev and Sargsyan in Zurich on January 28,
2009, on the margins of the World Economic Forum.

The Co-Chairs explored with the two Presidents their thoughts on how
to finalize the Basic Principles on the peaceful settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, proceeding from the proposal presented to
the sides at the OSCE Ministerial Conference in Madrid in November
2007.

The Co-Chairs agreed to work with the Foreign Ministers on elaborating
proposals for the consideration of the two Presidents on the most
important remaining differences between the sides existing within the
framework of the Basic Principles. The Co-Chairs hope the parties will
be able to bridge these remaining differences in the nearest future
to secure a peace agreement that is far better for all parties than
the status quo. Their goal is a just and balanced agreement based
on the Helsinki Final Act principles of territorial integrity,
self-determination, and non-use of force."