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OSCE Minsk Group Countries Committed To Achieving The Settlement Of

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  • OSCE Minsk Group Countries Committed To Achieving The Settlement Of

    OSCE MINSK GROUP COUNTRIES COMMITTED TO ACHIEVING THE SETTLEMENT OF THE NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT

    Trend
    Nov 30 2011
    Azerbaijan

    The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Ambassadors Bernard Fassier
    of France, Robert Bradtke of the United States, and Igor Popov of
    the Russian Federation) and Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk (Personal
    Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office) traveled November
    28-30 to Yerevan and Baku, says the statement of OSCE published on
    the website of the organization.

    The Co-Chairs were accompanied by Ambassador Jacques Faure, who will
    succeed Ambassador Fassier as the French Co-Chair of the Minsk Group.

    In Yerevan the Co-Chairs met with President Serzh Sargsian, Foreign
    Minister Edvard Nalbandian, and Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan;
    in Baku they met with President Ilham Aliyev, Foreign Minister Elmar
    Mammadyarov, and Defense Minister Safar Abiyev. In all these meetings,
    the Co-Chairs reaffirmed the strong commitment of their countries to
    assisting the sides in achieving a lasting and peaceful settlement
    of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

    Noting recent reports of incidents along the Line of Contact,
    the Co-Chairs stressed again to the Presidents the importance of
    respecting the 1994 ceasefire agreement, said in press-release.

    "They reiterated that such incidents demonstrate the need to implement
    the proposed mechanism to investigate incidents along the front-lines,
    on which the Presidents have agreed in principle. The Co-Chairs
    also discussed additional measures for enhancing confidence through
    people-to-people exchanges and efforts to preserve places of worship,
    cultural sites, and cemeteries", - said in the statement.

    On November 29, the Co-Chairs crossed the border between Armenia
    and Azerbaijan by foot, and met on each side with local officials
    to discuss the situation in the border region. On November 30, the
    Co-Chairs met with representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh Azerbaijanis,
    and underscored that a peaceful settlement must include the right
    of all internally displaced persons and refugees to return to their
    former places of residence.

    Looking ahead to the December OSCE Ministerial Council meeting in
    Vilnius, the Co-Chairs urged the sides to use this opportunity to
    reaffirm their commitment to seeking a peaceful settlement and moving
    beyond the unacceptable status quo, said in the statement.

    The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
    when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
    armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
    including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 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 the 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.

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