MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS DISAGREE WITH AZERBAIJAN’S POSITION ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH

Tert.am
15:54 ~U 12.03.10

After the unanimous vote on Kosovo’s independence, Azerbaijan became
more careful and began to insist that the Nagorno-Karabakh (NKR)
conflict must be resolved only on the basis of territorial integrity,
which, however, the Minsk Group co-chairs are against, said OSCE
Minsk Group co-chair Bernard Fassier during the NATO Parliamentary
Assembly Rose-Roth Seminar taking place in Yerevan.

According to Fassier, it would be easier to reach a settlement on
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict if the two societies lived together
harmoniously.

Discussing the history and developments of the negotiating process,
Fassier said that, at first, an attempt was being made to find a
solution which would allow Nagorno-Karabakh to be registered under
Azerbaijani control. Afterwards, the co-chairs strived to find a
solution in which Nagorno-Karabakh wouldn’t be part of Azerbaijani
territory, but a solution, nevertheless, that would be acceptable
for Azerbaijan.

"However, over all these years, we were unable to resolve the
Nagorno-Karabakh issue," said Fassier, noting that since the
above-mentioned options were unacceptable for both sides, in 2007,
the Madrid Principles were born, with three fundamental principles:
territorial integrity, self-determination of peoples, and not
applying force.

Fassier confirmed reports that Armenian Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandian will meet with the Minsk Group co-chairs on March 16
in Paris.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress