Azerbaijan

On the occasion of the meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council in Dublin, we, heads of delegations of co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group urge the parties to the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh to show the political will to achieve peace. As stated by our presidents on June 18, 2012 in Los Kabos the parties should remain faithful to the Helsinki principles, especially to the principles of avoiding of using of force or threatening with using of force, the principle of territorial integrity and self-determination of peoples, elements set forth in the statements adopted in Acville in 2009, in 2010 in Muskok, in 2011 in Doville, referring to the Presidents’ statements in Doville in 2011, we urge the parties to take decisive steps to achieve a peaceful settlement of the conflict. We regret that on January 23, 2012 in Sochi, the expectations for rapid progress in the peace process reflected in a joint statement of presidents of Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian have not been realized. Instead of it most of the time parties looked for one-sided advantage in the negotiation process but not for agreement based on a mutual consent. By noting reduction of incidents along the line of contact we remind importance of observation of cease-fire agreement signed in 1994, impossibility of settlement of the conflict with applying go force. We also call upon the parties to refrain from actions or statements inciting mutual hatred. The leaders should not prepare their peoples nor for hostility but to coexist as neighbors again and respect each other's history, traditions. Heads of delegations of co-chair countries welcome the readiness of the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers, at the beginning of 2013, along with co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group to discuss settlement of the conflict. Our countries are ready to do their utmost to help the parties, however, a responsibility to put an end to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict rests with the parties.