STATEMENT BY THE HEADS OF DELEGATION OF THE OSCE MG CO-CHAIR COUNTRIES
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation
Dec 6 2012
Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov, Secretary
of State of the United States Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Minister
Delegate for European Affairs of France Bernard Cazeneuve issued the
following statement today:
"On the occasion of the OSCE Ministerial Council Meeting in Dublin,
we, the Heads of Delegation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries,
call upon the parties to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to demonstrate
the political will needed to reach a peaceful settlement.
As our Presidents stated at Los Cabos on June 18, 2012, the parties
should be guided by the Helsinki principles, particularly those
relating to the non-use of force or the threat of force, territorial
integrity, and equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and
the elements outlined in our countries' statements at L'Aquila in
2009 and Muskoka in 2010. Recalling the statement of our Presidents
at Deauville in 2011, we again urge the parties to take decisive
steps to reach a peaceful settlement.
"We regret that the expectations of more rapid progress in the peace
process, which were raised by the Joint Statement of the Presidents of
Armenia and Azerbaijan, with the President of the Russian Federation
at Sochi on January 23, 2012, were not met. Instead, the parties have
too often sought one-sided advantage in the negotiation process, rather
than seeking to find agreement, based upon mutual understanding. While
recognizing the decrease in serious incidents along the Line of
Contact and the border in recent months, we remind the parties of
the need to continue to respect the ceasefire of 1994, and that the
use of military force will not resolve the conflict. We urge the
parties to refrain from actions and statements that foster feelings
of enmity among their populations and have raised tensions in recent
months. The leaders of the sides must prepare their populations for
the day when they will live again as neighbors, not enemies, with
full respect for each other's culture, history, and traditions.
"We call upon the parties to demonstrate a greater sense of urgency
in the peace process and to work with the Co-Chairs to give full
and careful consideration to ideas presented by the Co-Chairs during
their trip to the region in November. We welcome the readiness of the
Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia to meet jointly with the
Co-Chairs early in 2013 to continue these discussions. Our countries
continue to stand ready to do whatever we can to assist the parties,
but the responsibility for putting an end to the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict remains with them."
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation
Dec 6 2012
Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov, Secretary
of State of the United States Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Minister
Delegate for European Affairs of France Bernard Cazeneuve issued the
following statement today:
"On the occasion of the OSCE Ministerial Council Meeting in Dublin,
we, the Heads of Delegation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries,
call upon the parties to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to demonstrate
the political will needed to reach a peaceful settlement.
As our Presidents stated at Los Cabos on June 18, 2012, the parties
should be guided by the Helsinki principles, particularly those
relating to the non-use of force or the threat of force, territorial
integrity, and equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and
the elements outlined in our countries' statements at L'Aquila in
2009 and Muskoka in 2010. Recalling the statement of our Presidents
at Deauville in 2011, we again urge the parties to take decisive
steps to reach a peaceful settlement.
"We regret that the expectations of more rapid progress in the peace
process, which were raised by the Joint Statement of the Presidents of
Armenia and Azerbaijan, with the President of the Russian Federation
at Sochi on January 23, 2012, were not met. Instead, the parties have
too often sought one-sided advantage in the negotiation process, rather
than seeking to find agreement, based upon mutual understanding. While
recognizing the decrease in serious incidents along the Line of
Contact and the border in recent months, we remind the parties of
the need to continue to respect the ceasefire of 1994, and that the
use of military force will not resolve the conflict. We urge the
parties to refrain from actions and statements that foster feelings
of enmity among their populations and have raised tensions in recent
months. The leaders of the sides must prepare their populations for
the day when they will live again as neighbors, not enemies, with
full respect for each other's culture, history, and traditions.
"We call upon the parties to demonstrate a greater sense of urgency
in the peace process and to work with the Co-Chairs to give full
and careful consideration to ideas presented by the Co-Chairs during
their trip to the region in November. We welcome the readiness of the
Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia to meet jointly with the
Co-Chairs early in 2013 to continue these discussions. Our countries
continue to stand ready to do whatever we can to assist the parties,
but the responsibility for putting an end to the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict remains with them."