Open news feed Close news feed
A A

MADRID PRINCIPLES ARE UNCHANGED

Politics


“The principles of Madrid regarding the Karabakh conflict resolution have undergone no changes,” Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan told a press conference today refuting his Azeri counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov’s recent statement that the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs had proposed changes to the Madrid principles after the Helsinki meeting.


“As a security forum, the OSCE has tried to ensure security on the matter. The documents adopted in Helsinki by the Foreign Ministers of the 52 OSCE member-states and the Foreign Ministers of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries reiterate the position to solve the issue in a peaceful manner and through maintenance of the cease-fire regime,” the OSCE Secretary General,Marc Perrin de Brichambaut said during today’s joint press conference.


Reporters asked Mr. Brichambaut if there is certainty over the time of agreement on the principles of the Karabakh issue settlement as some say the agreement will be reached by mid-2009, others - by spring.


Mr. Brichambaut stated that the meeting of the OSCE FMs in Helsinki in early December, the declaration on the Karabakh issue made during that meeting and the statement of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs inspire hope that the high-level talks for the conflict settlement will continue. For the time being, Marc Perrin de Brichambaut says it takes practical flexibility, which is a matter of mutual confidence and mutual respect. According to the OSCE Secretary General the situation is rather complicated, and it is necessary to foster the resolution of this situation.


Today Edward Nalbandyan was obliged to refer to the Armenian political prisoners in the presence of his foreign guest. Reporters reminded Nalbandyan that Hammarberg had pledged to use the term “political prisoner” in his speech if the issue was not tackled by the OSCE next session. Besides, the Millennium Challenges Cooperation has suspended allocation of 6, 8 million dollars to Armenia.


Asked what measures the country is taking to avoid “such heavy sanctions” Nalbandyan said that Armenia has fully implemented Resolutions 1609 and 1620. The amendments were effected as Armenia realises their urgency. No other country would be able to implement the resolutions in the given short period. Edward Nalbandyan didn’t even speak about detained people who may be soon named political prisoners by the OSCE.


Azerbaijan has surpassed all quotes envisaged by the Treaty on the Ordinary Armaments in Europe. Asked what efforts the Armenian side is taking in that direction, Edward Nalbandyan said he had raised the question in Helsinki. “Azerbaijan has overstepped all limits. The issue is most concerning as Azerbaijan does not exclude the conflict settlement through militaristic methods,” said the Armenian FM. Mr. Nalbandyan is also concerned that the international community is so indifferent to the regular violations of the treaty. “In the given conditions the situation at the contact-line can go out of control any time and any moment,” he said.


The OSCE Secretary General didn’t answer the question though his stance regarding Azerbaijan’s militaristic ambitions was very important as a representative of the international community. He simply noted that the OSCE is doing its utmost to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict.