Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian issued remarks on the June 18 Enniskillen Joint Statement on Nagorno Karabakh by the heads of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries.

“The joint statement on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict made today in Enniskillen by the heads of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries is the fifth one. We highly appreciate the continuous efforts of the heads of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries - Russia, USA and France, aimed at the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

Armenia agrees with the co-chairing states and is determined to achieve an exclusively peaceful settlement of the conflict.

Similarly to the United States, Russia and France, we also regret that rather than finding a solution, because of Baku’s attempts to snatch one-sided advantage, progress was not achieved in the Summits of Kazan in June, 2011, Sochi in March, 2011, Astrakhan in October, 2010, Saint-Petersburg in June, 2010. Armenia agrees with the co-chairs’ approach that further delay in reaching a balanced framework agreement on the main principles for a comprehensive peace is unacceptable.

Similarly to the co-chairs, we continue to believe that the elements outlined in the statements of the heads of the co-chairing countries over the last four years can be the foundation of reaching a fair and lasting settlement of the conflict, and that those elements should be seen as an integrated whole and that any attempt to pick some elements over others would make it impossible to achieve a solution.

We absolutely agree that peoples should be prepared for peace, not war. Unfortunately, until now the Azerbaijani leadership is doing just the reverse. We absolutely agree with the heads of the co-chairing states-France, the United States and Russia, that the use of force will not resolve the conflict, and that only a negotiated settlement can lead to stability and peace, which will open new opportunities for regional cooperation and development,” the Armenian official’s statement said.

“The joint statement of Enniskillen on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict by the heads of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries may become an impetus for achieving progress in the negotiation process,” the Foreign Minister concluded.