ITAR-TASS, Russia
December 7, 2012 Friday 03:35 AM GMT+4
OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs call for peaceful resolution of Karabakh conflict
DUBLIN December 7
The Heads of Delegation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries
called 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," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, U.S.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Minister Delegate for European
Affairs of France Bernard Cazeneuve said in a joint statement on
Thursday, December 6.
They recalled the statement of their presidents at Deauville in 2011
and urged 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," they said.
While recognising 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."
The heads of delegation of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries
urged 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 neighbours, 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," the statement said.
December 7, 2012 Friday 03:35 AM GMT+4
OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs call for peaceful resolution of Karabakh conflict
DUBLIN December 7
The Heads of Delegation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries
called 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," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, U.S.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Minister Delegate for European
Affairs of France Bernard Cazeneuve said in a joint statement on
Thursday, December 6.
They recalled the statement of their presidents at Deauville in 2011
and urged 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," they said.
While recognising 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."
The heads of delegation of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries
urged 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 neighbours, 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," the statement said.