Int'l mediators cannot make peace for Armenia and Azerbaijan - Sarkozy

YEREVAN, October 6 (Itar-Tass) -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy
said international mediators cannot bring make peace for Armenia and
Azerbaijan.
"There exists one format to bolster the efforts of the international
community for the settlement of the Karabakh problem - the Minsk Group.
Each of three Co-Chair states enjoys the confidence of two sides and is
involved in the process of definition of conditions for conflict
settlement," Sarkozy said in an interview with the Mediamax news agency
ahead of his visit to Yerevan to begin on Thursday, October 6.
"But the Armenians and Azerbaijanis themselves should find this path
first of all. We can help, escort but we can never establish peace instead
of you," he said.
He stressed that France is one of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs for
the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
"Speaking about Armenia and Azerbaijan, many experts often recall the
experience of France and Germany in the period following the World War II,
when despite the existing antagonism, Paris and Berlin found the strength
for reconciliation, and today they are one of the closest allies and
leaders of the EU: The history of France and Germany shows that even the
biggest pain can be softened and the deepest hatred can be overcome, and
even during the most difficult moments of their history peoples can find
the strength for reconciliation," the president said.
He recalled, "By the time our countries chose reconciliation, they had
had three conflicts with each other during several decades. During the
World War I, France and Germany fought tooth and nail. Our countries found
the strength for reconciliation and had built a strong friendship on the
fragments of World War II, accompanied by horrors and sufferings. This
friendship is the cornerstone of European construction today."
In order to have this, "our countries needed such extraordinary people
like General de Gaulle and Chancellor Adenauer. They exhibited courage
necessary for reaching peace, since sometimes more courage is needed for
establishing peace than for continuing the war. Being real statesmen, only
several years after the war they managed to persuade their peoples that
peace has no alternative and each of the sides should overcome its hatred
and continue the path to peace and cooperation," Sarkozy said.
He believes that "Armenians and Azerbaijanis, should chose this path".