Tweet
Cihan News Agency (CNA), Turkey
December 5, 2014 Friday
Russia to continue rendering assistance in resolving Karabakh conflict - FM
BASEL (CÄ°HAN)- Russia will continue rendering assistance to the sides
of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in resolving it, Russian Foreign
Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a press conference in Basel,
Switzerland on Dec.5.
He said the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict is a long-standing, difficult process and the approaches have
changed in it.
"Together with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chars, for many years we have
been engaged in reducing these approaches to a common denominator in
order to start to negotiate on the practical implementation of fixed
principles: respect for territorial integrity, non-use of force and
respect for the right of peoples to self-determination," Lavrov said.
He added that this is a very complicated process, but it is still going on.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result
of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent
of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven
surrounding districts.
The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs
of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently
holding peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented the UN
Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the
Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.
"I'm confident that as before, we and our partners from the US and
France will assist Azerbaijan and Armenia in reaching mutually
acceptable agreements," Russian foreign minister said.
Lavrov added that on the sidelines of the 21st OSCE Ministerial
Council that kicked off in Basel on Dec.4, the co-chairs made a joint
settlement reiterating their determination to assist the sides in
seeking the ways of resolving the conflict.
The heads of delegation of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries -
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the US Secretary of State John
Kerry, and the French State Secretary for European Affairs Harlem
Desir - remain strongly committed to a peaceful resolution of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, according to their joint statement posted
on OSCE website Dec. 4.
"There is no military solution, and we call on the sides to refrain
from violence and work actively towards a lasting settlement," the
statement said.
OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries' delegation heads expressed regret
in the statement on the upsurge in violence this year along the line
of contact and the Armenia-Azerbaijan border.
"Russia has one plan - to strongly encourage the sides to reach an
agreement - since the conflict can be settled only by those who have
entered it and who participates in it," he said. "It is about both the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement and Transnistrian and Ukrainian
crisis."
Lavrov said that reaching an agreement between the sides is the main thing.
"That external support should very carefully keep them at the
negotiating table instead of trying to stage any provocation as it was
in 2003 when settling the Transnistrian issue."
"The document initialed by the leaders of Transnistria and Moldavian
president - the settlement plan - wasn't signed, as before the signing
day, the management of the EU foreign policy structures demanded
Moldavian president not to sign the document," Lavrov said. "And we
have had troubles with this issue since then."
He said there have been ups and downs in the settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, even the settlement concept was changed,
but all this was agreed upon between the sides and the OSCE Minsk
Group co-chairs by all means attempt to assist them.
"The trio of co-chairs on Karabakh conflict settlement is an example
of international mediation, while there are many pitfalls in the 5+2
format (Transnistrian settlement): a kind of mediators, observers
which advance their ideas," Lavrov said.
"This is while there is a very good friendly coordination in the
settlement of Karabakh conflict which allows to keep the process on
the track of negotiations," he said. "Hopefully, the results will be
achieved in the near future."
December 5, 2014 Friday
Russia to continue rendering assistance in resolving Karabakh conflict - FM
BASEL (CÄ°HAN)- Russia will continue rendering assistance to the sides
of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in resolving it, Russian Foreign
Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a press conference in Basel,
Switzerland on Dec.5.
He said the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict is a long-standing, difficult process and the approaches have
changed in it.
"Together with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chars, for many years we have
been engaged in reducing these approaches to a common denominator in
order to start to negotiate on the practical implementation of fixed
principles: respect for territorial integrity, non-use of force and
respect for the right of peoples to self-determination," Lavrov said.
He added that this is a very complicated process, but it is still going on.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result
of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent
of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven
surrounding districts.
The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs
of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently
holding peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented the UN
Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the
Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.
"I'm confident that as before, we and our partners from the US and
France will assist Azerbaijan and Armenia in reaching mutually
acceptable agreements," Russian foreign minister said.
Lavrov added that on the sidelines of the 21st OSCE Ministerial
Council that kicked off in Basel on Dec.4, the co-chairs made a joint
settlement reiterating their determination to assist the sides in
seeking the ways of resolving the conflict.
The heads of delegation of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries -
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the US Secretary of State John
Kerry, and the French State Secretary for European Affairs Harlem
Desir - remain strongly committed to a peaceful resolution of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, according to their joint statement posted
on OSCE website Dec. 4.
"There is no military solution, and we call on the sides to refrain
from violence and work actively towards a lasting settlement," the
statement said.
OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries' delegation heads expressed regret
in the statement on the upsurge in violence this year along the line
of contact and the Armenia-Azerbaijan border.
"Russia has one plan - to strongly encourage the sides to reach an
agreement - since the conflict can be settled only by those who have
entered it and who participates in it," he said. "It is about both the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement and Transnistrian and Ukrainian
crisis."
Lavrov said that reaching an agreement between the sides is the main thing.
"That external support should very carefully keep them at the
negotiating table instead of trying to stage any provocation as it was
in 2003 when settling the Transnistrian issue."
"The document initialed by the leaders of Transnistria and Moldavian
president - the settlement plan - wasn't signed, as before the signing
day, the management of the EU foreign policy structures demanded
Moldavian president not to sign the document," Lavrov said. "And we
have had troubles with this issue since then."
He said there have been ups and downs in the settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, even the settlement concept was changed,
but all this was agreed upon between the sides and the OSCE Minsk
Group co-chairs by all means attempt to assist them.
"The trio of co-chairs on Karabakh conflict settlement is an example
of international mediation, while there are many pitfalls in the 5+2
format (Transnistrian settlement): a kind of mediators, observers
which advance their ideas," Lavrov said.
"This is while there is a very good friendly coordination in the
settlement of Karabakh conflict which allows to keep the process on
the track of negotiations," he said. "Hopefully, the results will be
achieved in the near future."