OSCE chair Greece makes statement on Garabagh
The Greek chairmanship of the OSCE made a statement on the process
of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict
settlement on Wednesday following the Athens meeting of the Council
of Foreign Ministers.
It welcomes the joint statement adopted on Tuesday by the foreign ministers of France, Russia and the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State - co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group and the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia.
"We urge the sides to stable positive dynamics of negotiations and fully support them in peacefully resolving the Upper Garabagh conflict, based on the Madrid document in order to immediately begin preparation of a comprehensive peace agreement.
The ministers once again declared their commitment to intensive work to resolve remaining questions and reach an agreement based particularly on the principles of the Helsinki Final Act on non-use of force, territorial integrity and the right of peoples to self-determination. We believe that today there is a real possibility for future peace, stability and prosperity throughout the region," the statement said.
Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a cease-fire in 1994, but Armenia continues to occupy Upper Garabagh and seven other Azerbaijani districts in defiance of international law. Despite numerous rounds of OSCE-brokered negotiations, peace talks have been fruitless so far and refugees remain stranded.
Baku says the occupied districts must be freed and Azerbaijani refugees displaced during the armed conflict in the early 1990s returned home, and only after that could the status of Upper Garabagh be determined within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. *
It welcomes the joint statement adopted on Tuesday by the foreign ministers of France, Russia and the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State - co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group and the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia.
"We urge the sides to stable positive dynamics of negotiations and fully support them in peacefully resolving the Upper Garabagh conflict, based on the Madrid document in order to immediately begin preparation of a comprehensive peace agreement.
The ministers once again declared their commitment to intensive work to resolve remaining questions and reach an agreement based particularly on the principles of the Helsinki Final Act on non-use of force, territorial integrity and the right of peoples to self-determination. We believe that today there is a real possibility for future peace, stability and prosperity throughout the region," the statement said.
Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a cease-fire in 1994, but Armenia continues to occupy Upper Garabagh and seven other Azerbaijani districts in defiance of international law. Despite numerous rounds of OSCE-brokered negotiations, peace talks have been fruitless so far and refugees remain stranded.
Baku says the occupied districts must be freed and Azerbaijani refugees displaced during the armed conflict in the early 1990s returned home, and only after that could the status of Upper Garabagh be determined within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. *
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