Worrying signs in latest OSCE negotiations
White House Documents and Publications
July 10, 2009
Joint Statement on the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 10, 2009
Joint Statement on the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict
by U.S. President Obama, Russian President Medvedev, and French
President Sarkozy at the L'Aquila Summit of the Eight, July 10, 2009.
We, the Presidents of the OSCE Minsk Group's Co-Chair countries
France, the Russian Federation, and the United States of America
affirm our commitment to support the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan
as they finalize the Basic Principles for settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
We are instructing our mediators to present to the Presidents of
Armenia and Azerbaijan an updated version of the Madrid Document of
November 2007, the Co-Chairs last articulation of the Basic
Principles. We urge the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan to
resolve the few differences remaining between them and finalize their
agreement on these Basic Principles, which will outline a
comprehensive settlement.
Fact sheet
The ministers of the US, France, and Russia presented a preliminary
version of the Basic Principles for a settlement to Armenia and
Azerbaijan in November 2007 in Madrid.
The Basic Principles reflect a reasonable compromise based on the
Helsinki Final Act principles of Non-Use of Force, Territorial
Integrity, and the Equal Rights and Self-Determination of Peoples.
The Basic Principles call for inter alia:
--return of the territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh to
Azerbaijani control
--an interim status for Nagorno-Karabakh providing guarantees for
security and self-governance,
--a corridor linking Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh;
--future determination of the final legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh
through a legally binding expression of will;
--the right of all internally displaced persons and refugees to return
to their former places of residence; and
-- international security guarantees that would include a peacekeeping
operation.
The endorsement of these Basic Principles by Armenia and Azerbaijan
will allow the drafting of a comprehensive settlement to ensure a
future of peace, stability, and prosperity for Armenia and Azerbaijan
and the broader region.
ANKARA WELCOMES STATEMENT BY OSCE'S KARABAKH MEDIATORS
ArmInfo
2009-07-13 13:15:00
Ankara has welcomed a joint statement by OSCE MG co- chairs made at
the L'Aquila Summit of the Eight, July 10, 2009.
According to the Turkish media, the statement of Turkey's Foreign
Ministry says: "The impression we got up to today is that the
principles mentioned constitute a general framework. The presence
of some nuances in the approaches of the two sides concerning these
basic principles should be considered natural," the ministry said,
adding that what matters is the quick completion of negotiations
on these basic principles in order to reach a peaceful resolution
of the dispute which has continued to be a "bleeding wound for both
Azerbaijan and Armenia and for the South Caucasus region for years."
To recall, the presidents of OSCE Minsk Group made a joint statement
on Nagorno Karabakh where they urged the presidents of Armenia and
Azerbaijan to resolve the few differences remaining between them
and finalize their agreement on these basic principles. In their
turn, the basic principles include: return of the territories
surrounding Nagorno- Karabakh to Azerbaijani control; an interim
status for Nagorno-Karabakh providing guarantees for security and
self-governance; a corridor linking Armenia to Nagorno- Karabakh;
future determination of the final legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh
through a legally binding expression of will; the right of all
internally displaced persons and refugees to return to their former
places of residence; and international security guarantees that would
include a peacekeeping operation.
ArmInfo
2009-07-13 13:15:00
Ankara has welcomed a joint statement by OSCE MG co- chairs made at
the L'Aquila Summit of the Eight, July 10, 2009.
According to the Turkish media, the statement of Turkey's Foreign
Ministry says: "The impression we got up to today is that the
principles mentioned constitute a general framework. The presence
of some nuances in the approaches of the two sides concerning these
basic principles should be considered natural," the ministry said,
adding that what matters is the quick completion of negotiations
on these basic principles in order to reach a peaceful resolution
of the dispute which has continued to be a "bleeding wound for both
Azerbaijan and Armenia and for the South Caucasus region for years."
To recall, the presidents of OSCE Minsk Group made a joint statement
on Nagorno Karabakh where they urged the presidents of Armenia and
Azerbaijan to resolve the few differences remaining between them
and finalize their agreement on these basic principles. In their
turn, the basic principles include: return of the territories
surrounding Nagorno- Karabakh to Azerbaijani control; an interim
status for Nagorno-Karabakh providing guarantees for security and
self-governance; a corridor linking Armenia to Nagorno- Karabakh;
future determination of the final legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh
through a legally binding expression of will; the right of all
internally displaced persons and refugees to return to their former
places of residence; and international security guarantees that would
include a peacekeeping operation.
Interfax, Russia
July 10 2009
ALIYEV AGREES TO MEET WITH SARGSYAN IN MOSCOW - DIPLOMAT
Azeri President Ilham Aliyev has agreed to meet with his Armenian
counterpart Serzh Sargsyan in Moscow on July 17, Yury Merzlyakov,
Russia's co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group, told a briefing on
Friday.
"We hope that this meeting will allow us to reach the last lap [of the
settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict]," Merzlyakov said.
"We continued to discuss this small number of still unresolved aspects
in the basic principles both in Baku and Yerevan," the Russian
diplomat said.
The co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group are very pleased with the
results of their meetings with the Azeri and Armenian presidents,
Merzlyakov said.
"Our conversation with them was substantial and constructive. We
sensed that they both are committed to achieving results at their
upcoming meeting," he added.
"We hope that on July 17, the presidents will be able to finalize this
stage and to simultaneously begin discussing a new topic, which, until
recently, we addressed only in general. I hope that we will debate
this issue more profoundly in the future," said the Minsk Group's
French co-chairman Bernard Fassier.
"We are hopeful that the presidents will approve the basic settlement
principles before the end of the year, which will be a
breakthrough. Starting from next year, this breakthrough will open up
opportunities to transform these principles into a fundamental
agreement," the French diplomat said.
Nagorno-Karabakh's ethnic Azeri community could also be allowed to
join these negotiations, Merzlyakov said.
(what about the Artsakh Armenians?)
July 10 2009
ALIYEV AGREES TO MEET WITH SARGSYAN IN MOSCOW - DIPLOMAT
Azeri President Ilham Aliyev has agreed to meet with his Armenian
counterpart Serzh Sargsyan in Moscow on July 17, Yury Merzlyakov,
Russia's co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group, told a briefing on
Friday.
"We hope that this meeting will allow us to reach the last lap [of the
settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict]," Merzlyakov said.
"We continued to discuss this small number of still unresolved aspects
in the basic principles both in Baku and Yerevan," the Russian
diplomat said.
The co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group are very pleased with the
results of their meetings with the Azeri and Armenian presidents,
Merzlyakov said.
"Our conversation with them was substantial and constructive. We
sensed that they both are committed to achieving results at their
upcoming meeting," he added.
"We hope that on July 17, the presidents will be able to finalize this
stage and to simultaneously begin discussing a new topic, which, until
recently, we addressed only in general. I hope that we will debate
this issue more profoundly in the future," said the Minsk Group's
French co-chairman Bernard Fassier.
"We are hopeful that the presidents will approve the basic settlement
principles before the end of the year, which will be a
breakthrough. Starting from next year, this breakthrough will open up
opportunities to transform these principles into a fundamental
agreement," the French diplomat said.
Nagorno-Karabakh's ethnic Azeri community could also be allowed to
join these negotiations, Merzlyakov said.
(what about the Artsakh Armenians?)
"If the Azeri party wants to include representatives of the Azeri
community of Nagorno-Karabakh in its delegation, it is possible. Talks
between the presidents are in progress today, but it is not yet clear
at what stage Nagorno-Karabakh should join the talks in order to be
able to help formulate a part of an agreement dealing with this
territory," he said.
It could be possible to combine the Helsinki Final Act's three
principles, which suggest: abandoning threats to use force, observing
territorial integrity and giving a right to self-determination to the
local population, the OSCE Minsk Group's U.S. co-chairman Matthew
Bryza said, adding that this task would be difficult.
These principles could be combined by striking a balance between them,
which matches the task of finding mutually acceptable ideas in the
future, Bryza said.
The Azeri and Armenian leaders do not plan to sign any document at the
July 17 meeting, Merzlyakov said.
"But it does not mean that it [document] could not be signed there,"
the Russian diplomat said.
No one planned to sign the Moscow Declaration, but the document was
signed, he said.
Merzlyakov, however, declined to say in what form the basic settlement
principles could be adopted by the Azeri and Armenian presidents.
community of Nagorno-Karabakh in its delegation, it is possible. Talks
between the presidents are in progress today, but it is not yet clear
at what stage Nagorno-Karabakh should join the talks in order to be
able to help formulate a part of an agreement dealing with this
territory," he said.
It could be possible to combine the Helsinki Final Act's three
principles, which suggest: abandoning threats to use force, observing
territorial integrity and giving a right to self-determination to the
local population, the OSCE Minsk Group's U.S. co-chairman Matthew
Bryza said, adding that this task would be difficult.
These principles could be combined by striking a balance between them,
which matches the task of finding mutually acceptable ideas in the
future, Bryza said.
The Azeri and Armenian leaders do not plan to sign any document at the
July 17 meeting, Merzlyakov said.
"But it does not mean that it [document] could not be signed there,"
the Russian diplomat said.
No one planned to sign the Moscow Declaration, but the document was
signed, he said.
Merzlyakov, however, declined to say in what form the basic settlement
principles could be adopted by the Azeri and Armenian presidents.
Interfax, Russia
July 10 2009
Armenia-Azerbaijan peace deal not far off - Medvedev:
ACQUILA July 10
L' Russian President Dmitry Medvedev expressed optimism on Friday
about chances for the settlement of the conflict between Armenia and
Azerbaijan over the latter's Armenian- speaking enclave of
Nagorno-Karabakh.
(sounds as if decisions on transfer back have already been made?)July 10 2009
Armenia-Azerbaijan peace deal not far off - Medvedev:
ACQUILA July 10
L' Russian President Dmitry Medvedev expressed optimism on Friday
about chances for the settlement of the conflict between Armenia and
Azerbaijan over the latter's Armenian- speaking enclave of
Nagorno-Karabakh.
"I have some pretty good expectations about this. It is one of those
conflicts whose resolution process is in the most advanced phase,"
Medvedev told a news conference in L'Acquila, an Italian city that
hosted the G8 summit on July 8-10.
Armenia-Azerbaijan peace deal not far off - Medvedev (Part 2)
ACQUILA July 10
L' Russian President Dmitry Medvedev expressed optimism on Friday
about chances for the settlement of the conflict between Armenia and
Azerbaijan over the latter's Armenian- speaking enclave of
Nagorno-Karabakh.
"I have some pretty good expectations about this. It is one of those
conflicts whose resolution process is in the most advanced phase,"
Medvedev told a news conference in L'Acquila, an Italian city that
hosted the G8 summit on July 8-10.
Medvedev said Armenia and Azerbaijan are in dialogue over the
conflict.
"In my view, they are resolvable points," he said in reference to the
points the two countries are arguing about. "It's not something that
will take decades to solve. So I believe it's possible to achieve a
result there."
Russia and its partners in the Minsk Group, an Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe body mediating in the conflict,
"will give all possible help in this," Medvedev said. "But we will
also act on our own because [the Armenian and Azeri presidents] are
coming to one of the presidential events very soon," he said.
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