Minsk Group Co-Chairs Disagree with Azerbaijan’s Position on Nagorno-Karabakh

After the unanimous vote on Kosovo’s independence, Azerbaijan became more careful and began to insist that the Nagorno-Karabakh (NKR) conflict must be resolved only on the basis of territorial integrity, which, however, the Minsk Group co-chairs are against, said OSCE Minsk Group co-chair Bernard Fassier during the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Rose-Roth Seminar taking place in Yerevan.

According to Fassier, it would be easier to reach a settlement on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict if the two societies lived together harmoniously.

Discussing the history and developments of the negotiating process, Fassier said that, at first, an attempt was being made to find a solution which would allow Nagorno-Karabakh to be registered under Azerbaijani control. Afterwards, the co-chairs strived to find a solution in which Nagorno-Karabakh wouldn’t be part of Azerbaijani territory, but a solution, nevertheless, that would be acceptable for Azerbaijan.

“However, over all these years, we were unable to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh issue,” said Fassier, noting that since the above-mentioned options were unacceptable for both sides, in 2007, the Madrid Principles were born, with three fundamental principles: territorial integrity, self-determination of peoples, and not applying force.

Fassier confirmed reports that Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian will meet with the Minsk Group co-chairs on March 16 in Paris.