Karabakh's involvement in talks to create new potentials for conflict settlement

PanARMENIAN.Net - The statement adopted during the OSCE Ministerial Council in Athens is the first document to enshrine the principle of people's right to self-determination, Armenia's Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan finds.



"Azerbaijan's territorial integrity has nothing to do with Karabakh people's right to self-determination as the process began before Azerbaijan's gaining independence," he said.



According to Armenian FM, "The sooner Karabakh is involved in the talks, the more chances there will be for conflict settlement."

"In all meetings with European mediators, Armenian side raised the issue of Karabakh's participation in the process," Mr. Nalnadyan added.

In the statement adopted during the 17th OSCE Ministerial Council, Foreign Ministers call on conflicting parties to continue the negotiation process based on Madrid Principles.



"The final agreement over basic principles should mark the start of elaboration of peace agreement. To achieve mutual understanding, Foreign Ministers should be guided by the Helsinki Final Act stipulating for conflict settlement without threat and use of force. We are confident that there are currently real potentials for building peaceful, stable and prosperous future," Ministers say in their statement.



The Nagorno Karabakh conflict broke out in 1988 as result of the ethnic cleansing launched by Azerbaijan in the final years of the Soviet Union. The Karabakh War was fought from 1991 to 1994. Since the ceasefire in 1994, most of Nagorno Karabakh and several regions of Azerbaijan around it (the security zone) remain under the control of Nagorno Karabakh defense army. Armenia and Azerbaijan have since been holding peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group.