OSCE Minsk Group: ‘Elections’ In Nagorno-Karabakh Cannot Prejudge It

OSCE MINSK GROUP: ‘ELECTIONS’ IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH CANNOT PREJUDGE ITS FUTURE STATUS

Interfax
July 23 2012
Russia

The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group for the settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict have issued a commentary on what the
self-proclaimed republic presented as presidential elections it held
on Thursday.

“The Co-Chairs acknowledge the need for the de facto authorities in NK
to try to organize democratically the public life of their population
with such a procedure. However, the Co-Chairs note that none of their
three countries, nor any other country, recognizes Nagorno-Karabakh as
an independent and sovereign state,” the mediators said in a statement
posted on the OSCE website.

The so-called presidential elections in Nagorno-Karabakh “in no way
prejudge the final legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh or the outcome of
the ongoing negotiations to bring a lasting and peaceful settlement
to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” they said.

The incumbent de-facto president of Nagorno-Karabakh, Bako Saakian,
was earlier proclaimed the winner of the Thursday procedure.