ARMENIA REMAINED TRUE TO ITS PRINCIPLES IN KARABAKH SETTLEMENT
PanARMENIAN.Net
09.01.2008 12:30 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ During the year 2007 Armenia was an active
participator in peaceful talks for the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
settlement, says the annual report issued by the Armenian Ministry
of Foreign Affairs.
The document says, in part, "Armenia remained true to its principles
in the Karabakh settlement basing on international recognition of
Karabakhi people’s right to self-determination. Official confirmation
of this fact will offer possibility for resolving the problem and
liquidating its consequences. Talks in the format of Foreign Ministers
of Armenia and Azerbaijan were continued in 2007. Meetings were held
in Moscow in January, in Geneva in March and in Belgrade in April.
Separate consultations with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs, who visited
the regions to discuss position of the three parties to conflict and
possibilities of presidential meetings.
In February the international mediators issued a joint statement
calling on the sides to refrain from initiatives beyond the Minsk
Group framework which can have negative impact on the process.
At an informal summit in Potsdam, the G8 leaders lent support to the
OSCE MG efforts and called on the sides to reach an agreement on base
principles as soon as possible.
The Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan met during a CIS informal
summit in Saint Petersburg.
In June, by initiative of Ambassador of Armenia and Azerbaijan to
Russia, Armenian and Azeri intellectuals paid a call to Stepanakert,
Yerevan and Baku. This visit appeared as a trust-building measure
between the two peoples.
In July, the OSCE MG Co-chairs called on the sides to proceed with the
talks on the basis of proposed principles and work for real progress
in the coming months.
After the Saint Petersburg presidential meeting, the OSCE MG mediators
gave preference to shuttle diplomacy.
In November, during a meeting attended by Russian FM Sergei Lavrov,
French FM Bernard Kouchner and U.S.
Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns, the Armenian and Azerbaijani
Foreign Ministers were handed a package of proposals on base principles
of the conflict settlement.
In Madrid, Armenian and Azeri Foreign Minister held a meeting with
OSCE CiO Miguel Angel Moratinos.
Despite commitments to continue talks, Azerbaijan did not stop efforts
to transfer the Karabakh issue to other international structures. It
did not abandon military rhetoric and anti-Armenia propaganda either
and kept hampering the work of international organizations in the
region.
Armenia, for its part, counterbalanced this policy and succeeded in
strengthening the right of Karabakhi people to self-determination."