The White House
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THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
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PRESS RELEASE
June 23, 2011

Readout of President Obama’s Call with Armenian President Serzh
Sargsian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev

President Obama made phone calls today to Armenian President Serzh
Sargsian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in advance of their
upcoming summit on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict that Russian
President Dimitriy Medvedev will host in Kazan, Russia on June 24th.

The President reaffirmed the message expressed in his May 26th joint
statement with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs President Nicholas
Sarkozy and President Medvedev that the moment has come for all the
sides to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to take a decisive step towards
a peaceful settlement.

President Obama strongly encouraged the two leaders to finalize and
endorse the Basic Principles during their meeting with President
Medvedev in Kazan. Once the Basic Principles are agreed to, the
parties can begin negotiating a final settlement based on the Helsinki
principles of non-use of force or threat of force, territorial
integrity, and the equal rights and self-determination of peoples.

President Obama told both leaders that now is the time to resolve this
conflict and to offer the people of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and
Nagorno-Karabakh a better future for themselves and for their
children. The United States will continue to support both leaders and
the Minsk Group Co-Chairs in their important efforts to advance
security and prosperity in the region.

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