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LEADERS CALL FOR END TO ARMENIA-AZERBAIJAN WAR
By DAVID M. HERSZENHORN
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/20/world/europe/leaders-call-for-end-to-armenia-azerbaijan-war.html?_r=1&ref=europe
Published: June 19, 2012
The presidents of the United States, Russia and France issued a joint
statement on Monday calling for a peaceful settlement to the more
than 20-year war between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed
territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Clashes along the Azerbaijan-Armenia border have intensified in recent
weeks, with soldiers killed on each side. The renewed fighting, in
violation of prior ceasefire agreements, has stirred fears of wider
bloodshed and drawn international condemnation.
The statement issued by the three presidents, Barack Obama, Vladimir
V. Putin and Francois Hollande, at the Group of 20 meeting in Mexico,
faulted the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan for not following steps
toward an agreement urged last year. The statement called on them to
move swiftly to make "the important decisions necessary to reach a
lasting and peaceful settlement."
The United States, Russia and France co-chair the Minsk Group, which
was created in 1992 by the Organization for Security and Cooperation
in Europe to help settle the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute.
"Military force will not resolve the conflict and would only prolong
the suffering and hardships endured by the peoples of the region
for too long," the presidents said. "Only a peaceful, negotiated
settlement can allow the entire region to move beyond the status quo
toward a secure and prosperous future."
The unity on addressing the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict provided a
glimmer of consensus between Mr. Obama and Mr. Putin whose face-to-face
meeting on Monday was largely characterized by their disagreement
over how to handle the conflict in Syria.
The Nagorno-Karabakh dispute, however, has proved largely intractable.
The statement in Mexico followed an earlier meeting on Monday in
Paris between ambassadors from the United States, Russia and France
and the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan. The meeting
seemed to yield little progress.
In a statement, the three ambassadors said they had discussed the
recent fighting on the front lines as well as the creation of a
mechanism to monitor ceasefire violations and ways to preserve sites
of historic and cultural value. Officials from the Minsk Group said
they planned to travel to the region to follow up.
From: A. Papazian
By DAVID M. HERSZENHORN
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/20/world/europe/leaders-call-for-end-to-armenia-azerbaijan-war.html?_r=1&ref=europe
Published: June 19, 2012
The presidents of the United States, Russia and France issued a joint
statement on Monday calling for a peaceful settlement to the more
than 20-year war between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed
territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Clashes along the Azerbaijan-Armenia border have intensified in recent
weeks, with soldiers killed on each side. The renewed fighting, in
violation of prior ceasefire agreements, has stirred fears of wider
bloodshed and drawn international condemnation.
The statement issued by the three presidents, Barack Obama, Vladimir
V. Putin and Francois Hollande, at the Group of 20 meeting in Mexico,
faulted the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan for not following steps
toward an agreement urged last year. The statement called on them to
move swiftly to make "the important decisions necessary to reach a
lasting and peaceful settlement."
The United States, Russia and France co-chair the Minsk Group, which
was created in 1992 by the Organization for Security and Cooperation
in Europe to help settle the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute.
"Military force will not resolve the conflict and would only prolong
the suffering and hardships endured by the peoples of the region
for too long," the presidents said. "Only a peaceful, negotiated
settlement can allow the entire region to move beyond the status quo
toward a secure and prosperous future."
The unity on addressing the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict provided a
glimmer of consensus between Mr. Obama and Mr. Putin whose face-to-face
meeting on Monday was largely characterized by their disagreement
over how to handle the conflict in Syria.
The Nagorno-Karabakh dispute, however, has proved largely intractable.
The statement in Mexico followed an earlier meeting on Monday in
Paris between ambassadors from the United States, Russia and France
and the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan. The meeting
seemed to yield little progress.
In a statement, the three ambassadors said they had discussed the
recent fighting on the front lines as well as the creation of a
mechanism to monitor ceasefire violations and ways to preserve sites
of historic and cultural value. Officials from the Minsk Group said
they planned to travel to the region to follow up.
From: A. Papazian