CO-CHAIRS: REFERENDUM WHICH IS NOT INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED WILL HAVE NO NEGATIVE EFFECT ON NEGOTIATIONS
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Dec 11 2006
The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Ambassadors Bernard Fassier of
France, Yury Merzlyakov of Russia, and Matthew Bryza of the United
States, have issued a statement on the referendum held in Nagorno
Karabakh on December 10, APA reports quoting to OSCE.
The statement says: "The authorities of Nagorno Karabakh held
a referendum on December 10 on a draft ‘constitution’ of the
so-called ‘Nagorno Karabakh republic,’ which no member of the
international community – including the co-chair countries –
recognizes as an independent state. The co-chairs do not believe
that such a ‘referendum’ will contribute to a negotiated settlement
of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Any future legal status of Nagorno
Karabakh should be determined without the threat or use of force and
only as the result of political negotiations between all parties in
the framework of the Minsk Group.
Conducting such a referendum now is particularly unhelpful at a moment
when the OSCE Minsk group-mediated negotiations between Armenia and
Azerbaijan appear to be on a constructive path. The results of this
referendum, which are not internationally recognized, will have no
negative effect on continuing prospects for an agreement between the
sides on basic principles for the settlement of the conflict.’