OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRMEN RELEASE STATEMENT ON RESULTS OF MEETING BETWEEN AZERBAIJANI AND ARMENIAN PRESIDENTS

Baku, January 29 (AzerTAc). The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Ambassador Bernard Fassier - France; Ambassador Yuri Merzlyakov - Russian Federation; Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Bryza - United States) released a joint statement on the results of the meeting between Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents Ilham Aliyev and Serzh Sarkisyan in Zurich, according the OSCE official website.

The statement reads: “The Co-Chairs traveled to Baku on January 19, 2009, where they
met with President Ilham Aliyev and Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, and to
Yerevan on January 20, 2009, where they met with President Serzh Sarkisyan and
Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian.
The Co-Chairs met again jointly with Foreign Ministers Mammadyarov and Nalbandian in
Zurich on January 27, 2009, and organized a joint meeting with Presidents Aliyev and
Sarkisyan in Zurich on January 28, 2009, on the margins of the World Economic Forum.
The Co-Chairs explored with the two Presidents their thoughts on how to finalize the
Basic Principles on the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
proceeding from the proposal presented to the sides at the OSCE Ministerial
Conference in Madrid in November 2007.
The Co-Chairs agreed to work with the Foreign Ministers on elaborating proposals for
the consideration of the two Presidents on the most important remaining differences
between the sides existing within the framework of the Basic Principles. The
Co-Chairs hope the parties will be able to bridge these remaining differences in the
nearest future to secure a peace agreement that is far better for all parties than
the status quo. Their goal is a just and balanced agreement based on the Helsinki
Final Act principles of territorial integrity, self-determination, and non-use of
force."

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