“A meeting between Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan could be the beginning of a new stage of negotiations leading to reconciliation”, said Swiss President and active Chairman of Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Didier Burkhalter, at the press conference in Yerevan, news.am reported.
French President Francois Hollande proposed to hold such a meeting during his visit to Armenia.
“I express my full respect for the format to solve this complex problem. This is really difficult, and we don’t underestimate its importance,” said the OSCE chairman, stressing the importance of Minsk Group format.
Swiss President also added that “there were losses and we don’t forget about them”, stressing that the status quo does not promise prospects and it is necessary to go step by step.
OSCE Chairman stressed the need to solve the conflict on the basis of Madrid Principles and international law. “We can mediate, offer expert participation, render political and financial assistance. We can do it during the presidency of Switzerland, as well as if it is needed after,” said Burkhalter, adding that the assistance in the form of measures aimed to improve the atmosphere of confidence is possible – direct people to people contacts, and settlement of environmental issues. “Dissemination of peace is one of the goals fixed in the Swiss Constitution,” concluded Burkhalter.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the U.S. are currently holding 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.
/Trend/
