OSCE CHAIRPERSON URGES RENEWED COMMITMENT TO PEACEFUL RESOLUTION ON 15TH ANNIVERSARY OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH CEASEFIRE
armradio.am
11.05.2009 16:12
The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis,
expressed hope today that the parties to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
would make further progress towards a peaceful settlement, and urged
them to implement fully the provisions of the ceasefire, including
pulling back snipers from the front lines.
Speaking ahead of the 15th anniversary of the ceasefire agreement that
ended one of the most violent conflicts in the area of the former
Soviet Union, Bakoyannis said that she welcomed the constructive
discussions between President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan and President
Serzh Sargsyan of Armenia in Prague on 7 May facilitated by the Minsk
Group Co-Chairs.
"I fully support the efforts of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs, as well
as of my Personal Representative, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, to
encourage a peaceful and negotiated resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict, on the basis of the Madrid Document. Such a settlement
is the only way for the peoples of the region to enjoy the fruits
of peace and cooperation and we must keep up the momentum that all
sides have worked so hard to achieve," she said.
"We must also keep in mind that despite the important ceasefire
that was signed 15 years ago, the situation on the ground remains
extremely volatile, and tragically, lives continue to be lost. Further
confidence-building measures are necessary, and I urge the parties
to respect all provisions of the ceasefire, as well as the proposals
of the Co-Chairs at the 2008 Helsinki OSCE Ministerial Conference to
withdraw snipers from the front lines."