OSCE MG CO-CHAIR: ARMENIA DOES NOT AGREE WITH UPDATED MADRID PRINCIPLES’ SOME POINTS

Journal of Turkish Weekly
March 29 2010

Armenia does not agree with some points of the updated Madrid
principles, Russian co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group (MG) Yuri
Merzlyakov was quoted as saying by the Armenia Today news agency.

He said presently, recent suggestions made by the co-chairs are
under consideration. Armenia has already expressed its disagreement
on some points. "However, we do not exacerbate the situation, since
a couple of years ago the same situation emerged in respect of the
Madrid principles, which Armenia has accepted, but now appears not
completely," he stressed. The co-chair also noted that the parties
reached an agreement on the Madrid principles, except upon the
four points.

He also stressed that this was his last visit to the region as co-chair
of OSCE Minsk Group. He said that he will lead the new post and who
will replace him is yet unknown.

French Co-chair Bernarrd Fassier, in turn, noted that the proposals
for the Madrid principles are still being discussed, and the fact
that the parties have periodically come to a mutual agreement, says
about the seriousness of the process and mutual understanding. "War
can not be a solution to the conflict. We remain at the opinion that
the matter must not be settled by military means. In the event of war,
little will change, the question on the contrary, will acquire a more
serious connotation," he added.