HEADS OF DELEGATIONS MAKE A JOINT STATEMENT ON KARABAKH

Aysor
Dec 2 2009
Armenia

Armenia’s Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan, Azerbaijan’s Foreign
Minister Elmar Mamedyarov, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov,
France’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Bernard Kouchner, and U.S.

Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg have made a joint statement
on Karabakh conflict in Athens.

"Chiefs of the delegations of the OSCE Minsk Group member states,
Sergey Lavrov (Russia), Bernard Kouchner (France), Deputy Secretary
of State James Steinberg (U.S.) met with Armenia’s Foreign Minister
Edward Nalbandyan and Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov
on December 1 2009, in Athens," said in statement.

"The five officials applied to obligations signed in the Moscow
Declaration of 2008 and the Helsinki OSCE Ministerial Statement. The
five officials stressed this year’s positive trends of the six meetings
between Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents. The five officials believe
the growing number of meetings between the parties contributed to
moving forward the basic principles of peaceful settlement of the
Karabakh conflict which were proposed on November 29 2007 in Madrid.

"Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, France’s Minister for Foreign
Affairs Bernard Kouchner, and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James
Steinberg said the chairing countries are ready to support Armenian
and Azerbaijani leaders to finish the process of normalisation and
coordination of the fundamental principles. These officials call on
the negotiating sides to complete the works as soon as possible in
accordance with the three-president-made statement on Karabakh at G8
Summit in AkvilÄ-, on July 10.

"These officials stress that the agreement on the fundamental
principles will became a basis for the framework of the establishing
peace, stability and well-being in the region.

"Armenia’s Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan, Azerbaijan’s Foreign
Minister Elmar Mamedyarov said had reached progress in talks on
the common approaches around the settlements of the fundamental
principles. These officials said are ready to complete the works on
the fundamental principles in conformity with three-president-made
statement on Karabakh at G8 Summit in AkvilÄ-.

"Armenia’s Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan, Azerbaijan’s Foreign
Minister Elmar Mamedyarov confirmed the two counties are ready to
work hard at unsolved issues, to reach an agreement, particularly
in relation with the signed in the Helsinki Final Act principles of
sovereign equality, respect for the rights inherent in sovereignty,
territorial integrity of States, and refraining from the threat or
use of force."