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OSCE MINSK GROUP PRESENTS PLAN FOR NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT SIDES TO PREPARE COMPREHENSIVE PEACE SETTLEMENT
Trend
March 6 2012
Azerbaijan
The Co-Chairs presented a plan for the sides to put into action the
joint statement made by Presidents Medvedev, Aliyev, and Sargsyan on
January 23 in Sochi. Building on the two Presidents' joint commitment
to accelerate reaching agreement on the Basic Principles, the Co-Chairs
proposed steps to assist the sides in furthering work on the framework
for a comprehensive peace settlement.
The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Ambassadors Robert Bradtke
of the United States, Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, and
Jacques Faure of France) and Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk (Personal
Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office) traveled to Yerevan,
Nagorno-Karabakh, and Baku on March 2-6. The Co-Chairs met with
Presidents Sargsyan and Aliyev, and with the de facto authorities in
Nagorno-Karabakh, the organization said.
The Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian leaders Ilham Aliyev, Dmitry
Medvedev and Serzh Sargsyan held the tenth trilateral meeting in
Sochi in January. They made a joint statement following the meeting.
"The presidents said that the agreement was reached to coordinate
fundamental principles of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as a result
of intensive negotiations," the document said. "Taking into account
the importance of passing to the development of a peace agreement,
the Azerbaijani and Armenian Presidents expressed their willingness
to accelerate the achievement of the agreement on basic principles
taking into account the conducted work."
The Co-Chairs also discussed with the sides how to implement
commitments in the Sochi statement to continue work on a mechanism to
investigate incidents along the frontlines. The Co-Chairs reported
that they have requested, through the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office,
that the OSCE High-Level Planning Group further develop the mechanism
as an important measure to enhance stability and improve trust. In
addition, the Co-Chairs discussed humanitarian and people-to-people
contacts, which should be used to promote mutual understanding among
peoples of the region, and not be politicized or manipulated to the
detriment of the peace process.
The Co-Chairs plan to travel to Vienna on March 22 to brief the OSCE
Permanent Council on the latest steps being taken toward reaching a
peaceful settlement.â~@¬
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France and the U.S. -
are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.
Trend
March 6 2012
Azerbaijan
The Co-Chairs presented a plan for the sides to put into action the
joint statement made by Presidents Medvedev, Aliyev, and Sargsyan on
January 23 in Sochi. Building on the two Presidents' joint commitment
to accelerate reaching agreement on the Basic Principles, the Co-Chairs
proposed steps to assist the sides in furthering work on the framework
for a comprehensive peace settlement.
The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Ambassadors Robert Bradtke
of the United States, Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, and
Jacques Faure of France) and Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk (Personal
Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office) traveled to Yerevan,
Nagorno-Karabakh, and Baku on March 2-6. The Co-Chairs met with
Presidents Sargsyan and Aliyev, and with the de facto authorities in
Nagorno-Karabakh, the organization said.
The Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian leaders Ilham Aliyev, Dmitry
Medvedev and Serzh Sargsyan held the tenth trilateral meeting in
Sochi in January. They made a joint statement following the meeting.
"The presidents said that the agreement was reached to coordinate
fundamental principles of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as a result
of intensive negotiations," the document said. "Taking into account
the importance of passing to the development of a peace agreement,
the Azerbaijani and Armenian Presidents expressed their willingness
to accelerate the achievement of the agreement on basic principles
taking into account the conducted work."
The Co-Chairs also discussed with the sides how to implement
commitments in the Sochi statement to continue work on a mechanism to
investigate incidents along the frontlines. The Co-Chairs reported
that they have requested, through the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office,
that the OSCE High-Level Planning Group further develop the mechanism
as an important measure to enhance stability and improve trust. In
addition, the Co-Chairs discussed humanitarian and people-to-people
contacts, which should be used to promote mutual understanding among
peoples of the region, and not be politicized or manipulated to the
detriment of the peace process.
The Co-Chairs plan to travel to Vienna on March 22 to brief the OSCE
Permanent Council on the latest steps being taken toward reaching a
peaceful settlement.â~@¬
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France and the U.S. -
are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.