Today, Azerbaijan
Jan 29 2007
Co-Chairs urge sides to prepare their publics for compromises
29 January 2007 [15:27] – Today.Az
OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs made statement on the results of their
visit to the region.
After four days of meetings, the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs
(Ambassador Yuri Merzlyakov – Russian Federation; Ambassador Bernard
Fassier – France; Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Bryza –
United States) are encouraged by the constructive approach of the
leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan as they seek to finalize a set of
basic principles for the resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.
Russian Federation Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov hosted Armenian
Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister
Elmar Mammadyarov for talks facilitated by the Co-Chairs in Moscow on
Tuesday, January 23.
The Co-Chairs met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Baku on
Wednesday, January 24.
On Thursday, January 25, they traveled to Nagorno-Karabakh to meet
with separatists’ leader Arkadi Gukasyan.
They met with Armenian President Robert Kocharyan in Yerevan on
Friday, January 26.
The Co-Chairs appreciate the efforts of all the interlocutors they
met during the week. It is the responsibility of the presidents of
Armenia and Azerbaijan, with the assistance of the Co-Chairs, to find
a lasting, peaceful resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.
The presidents are defending their national interests vigorously, and
they are doing so in a way that allows the peace process to continue
moving forward.
The Co-Chairs urge all parties to sustain this momentum in the
negotiations and to prepare their publics for the necessary
compromises.
At the same time, the Co-Chairs urge continued pursuit of
confidence-building measures and maintenance of the ceasefire to
increase the level of trust and understanding between the sides, the
U.S embassy press service told the APA.
URL: