BELARUS SAYS READY TO HOST KARABAKH TALKS
10:39, 13 Mar 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan
Belarus is ready to host negotiations on the Nagorno-Karabakh.
Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei made the statement during
the meeting with Co-Chairs of the Minsk Group of the Organization
for Security and Cooperation in Europe on 12 March, BelTA reports..
The press service of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry quoted Vladimir
Makei as saying: “I would like to confirm our readiness to host peace
talks on Nagorno-Karabakh at the time specified by the relevant OSCE
resolutions. If necessary, we could also provide the venue for the
final stage of the negotiation process on working out a comprehensive
peace agreement”.
The Belarusian Foreign Minister also remarked he was glad to welcome
the Minsk Group co-chairs and the personal representative of the
OSCE Chairperson-in-Office on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Vladimir
Makei mentioned their visit to Minsk as historic.
“Belarus resolutely supports OSCE efforts in favor of stepping up
regional security and stability, finding peaceful solutions to resolve
existing and long-drawn conflicts, including the Nagorno-Karabakh one.
We are ready to make our own contribution the way we did within
the framework of the Ukrainian crisis,” stated Vladimir Makei. The
Belarusian Foreign Minister went on saying that Belarus shares
the vision of the Minsk Group co-chairs on ways to resolve the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Belarus fully agrees with the idea that as a priority it is now
necessary to reduce tensions along the conflict line in order to avoid
human casualties. “Belarus highly appreciates the incessant effort on
the part of Minsk Group co-chairs and the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office.
The efforts are of primary importance not only for the sake of
restoring security in the conflict zone but also for enabling favorable
conditions for top-level contacts,” stressed the Minister.
Apart from that, Vladimir Makei stated that Belarus welcomes the
intensification of contacts between leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Belarus maintains close friendly relations with both countries,
including contacts at the level of the heads of state. The fact could
be useful for advancing the peace process.
The press service of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry specified that on
12 March Vladimir Makei met with co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group:
Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, James Warlick of the United
States of America, and Pierre Andrieu of France. They were joined
by personal representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Andrzej
Kasprzyk. The co-chairs and the personal representative informed the
Belarusian Foreign Minister about the situation in the conflict zone
and the development of the negotiation process. Prospects of future
cooperation were discussed, including Belarus’ possible assistance
with the settlement process.