Azernews.Az

The recent statement issued by the presidents of Russia, the United States and France – the three countries co-chairing the OSCE Minsk Group brokering settlement to the Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict – is of great importance, the European Union’s special envoy for South Caucasus has said.
"This creates a solid basis for a substantial process," Peter Semneby told reporters upon arrival in Baku on Tuesday.
"The principles for Garabagh conflict settlement remain the same. The co-chairing countries’ standing by these principles is crucial. It is very important also because the people in both countries are entitled to know what is being discussed in the negotiating process."
Presidents Dmitry Medvedev, Barack Obama and Nicolas Sarkozy, in a joint statement issued during a G8 summit in Canada last Saturday, called on the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to accelerate work on the basic principles of Garabagh settlement in order to begin drafting a peace accord. The Russian, US and French leaders affirmed their commitment to support the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia to finalize their agreement upon the main conflict resolution principles. The statement noted that the three leaders considered as an important step forward the recognition by both parties of the fact that a settlement must be based on several principles, including the return of the territories surrounding Nagorno Garabagh to Azerbaijani control, an interim status for the Azerbaijani region providing guarantees of security and self-government, and creating a corridor linking Armenia with Nagorno Garabagh.
Semneby’s visit to Baku will last till Thursday. The EU envoy is scheduled to meet with Azerbaijani leaders for talks focusing on such key issues as ways of advancing a settlement to the Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict, Azerbaijan’s November parliamentary elections, Baku’s cooperation with the EU and energy issues.*