AzerNews Weekly, Azerbaijan
May 5 2010
Garabagh mediators to meet foreign ministers in Europe
07-05-2010 06:00:03
The OSCE mediators brokering settlement to the Armenia-Azerbaijan
conflict over Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh are expected to meet the two
countries’ foreign ministers in Europe in the coming days to discuss
how to move forward talks on settling the long-standing dispute, says
a statement released by the Minsk Group co-chairs on Thursday.
The co-chairs – incoming Russian mediator Igor Popov, Bernard Fassier
of France, and Robert Bradtke of the United States ` briefed the Minsk
Group in Vienna on Wednesday on the current status of peace talks.
They underscored the commitment of the parties to make progress on the
elaboration of a settlement based on the Madrid principles, a peace
outline submitted by the mediators, as well as the elements contained
in the joint statement issued by presidents of the co-chair countries
at the L’Aquila summit in July 2009.
In his last trip to Vienna as the Russian co-chair, the outgoing
mediator Yuri Merzlyakov formally introduced Ambassador Popov to the
Minsk Group as his successor.
Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with the
signing of a cease-fire in 1994, but Armenia continues to occupy Upper
Garabagh and seven other Azerbaijani districts in defiance of
international law. The ceasefire accord was signed in 1994, but over a
decade of efforts by the Minsk Group co-chairs have been largely
fruitless so far.*
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
