Constructive Cooperation Established between OSCE MG Co-Chairs
19.03.2008,
17:55
Constructive cooperation has been established between the Co-Chairs of OSCE Minsk Group, says the review of 2007 foreign policy and diplomacy placed on the website of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
YEREVAN, March 19. /ARKA/. Constructive cooperation has been established between the Co-Chairs of OSCE Minsk Group, says the review of 2007 foreign policy and diplomacy placed on the website of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
According to the document, OSCE MG Co-Chairs (Russia, USA, and France) intensified close cooperation in their mediation efforts in Nagorno-Karabakh peace process in 2007.
Western partners remained committed to inadmissibility of coercive approach and use of force in settling the conflict; this was largely facilitated by regular contacts of the Co-Chairs with the management of the Russian Foreign Ministry during the consultations in Moscow in January and August, the review says.
Russian Foreign Ministry pointed out that mediation efforts of the Co-Chairs was supported by the statement of foreign ministers of the Group of Eight (G8) on the eve of G8 summit in Heiligendamm (May) and at the meeting of OSCE Council of Foreign Ministers in Madrid (November).
Foreign ministers of Russia, France and the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State officially handed the document with basic principles of settlement over to foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Madrid.
This step was made bearing in mind the upcoming presidential elections in both countries, for maintaining the agreements reached in the negotiations and moving forward to agreeing upon the basic principles of the settlement, the document says.
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict started in 1988 when Nagorno-Karabakh with prevailingly Armenian population declared its withdrawal from Azerbaijan.
On December 10 1991, just a couple of days before the official collapse of the Soviet Union, a referendum was held in Nagorno-Karabakh in the presence of international observers where 99.89% of the population voted for the full independence from Azerbaijan.
In response to it, Azerbaijan launched a large-scale war against Nagorno-Karabakh. Active operations were ceased on May 12 1994 by signing a cease-fire agreement that is maintained since then.
Since 1992 negotiations have been held on peaceful settlement of the conflict under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chaired by the USA, Russia and France.--0—
According to the document, OSCE MG Co-Chairs (Russia, USA, and France) intensified close cooperation in their mediation efforts in Nagorno-Karabakh peace process in 2007.
Western partners remained committed to inadmissibility of coercive approach and use of force in settling the conflict; this was largely facilitated by regular contacts of the Co-Chairs with the management of the Russian Foreign Ministry during the consultations in Moscow in January and August, the review says.
Russian Foreign Ministry pointed out that mediation efforts of the Co-Chairs was supported by the statement of foreign ministers of the Group of Eight (G8) on the eve of G8 summit in Heiligendamm (May) and at the meeting of OSCE Council of Foreign Ministers in Madrid (November).
Foreign ministers of Russia, France and the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State officially handed the document with basic principles of settlement over to foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Madrid.
This step was made bearing in mind the upcoming presidential elections in both countries, for maintaining the agreements reached in the negotiations and moving forward to agreeing upon the basic principles of the settlement, the document says.
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict started in 1988 when Nagorno-Karabakh with prevailingly Armenian population declared its withdrawal from Azerbaijan.
On December 10 1991, just a couple of days before the official collapse of the Soviet Union, a referendum was held in Nagorno-Karabakh in the presence of international observers where 99.89% of the population voted for the full independence from Azerbaijan.
In response to it, Azerbaijan launched a large-scale war against Nagorno-Karabakh. Active operations were ceased on May 12 1994 by signing a cease-fire agreement that is maintained since then.
Since 1992 negotiations have been held on peaceful settlement of the conflict under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chaired by the USA, Russia and France.--0—
