OSCE Chairman urges all sides to seize opportunity to solve Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

YEREVAN, 30 March 2005 - The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, encouraged all parties to make full use of the existing window of opportunity to accelerate the process of reaching a solution for the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, while visiting Armenia on Wednesday.

"I am convinced that the guidance of the two Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan will be crucial for the successful development of the peace process," said the Chairman-in-Office, after meeting with President Robert Kocharian.

The OSCE Chairman-in-Office also met the Chairman of the National Assembly Artur Baghdasaryan, Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian, as well as the leader of Nagorno-Karabakh, Arkady Goukasian.

Minister Rupel welcomed the recent positive developments in the framework of the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process to which the OSCE is very much committed.
"However, the latest reports of increased cease-fire violations along the front lines are of serious concern. I hope that everything possible will be done in order to defuse the present tension," he said.

"Armenia is undertaking important reforms in a number of areas, and I encourage you to push this process even further," said the Chairman-in-Office.

"The OSCE is prepared to offer its assistance in different areas, such as constitutional and electoral reform, freedom of the media and the fight against corruption. We think the National Anti-Corruption Strategy could be improved by the involvement of civil society."
Minister Rupel pointed out that further progress could be made on the constitutional issues: "An effective balance of power between the executive and legislative branches, independence of the judiciary and local self-governance are key democratic principles to which all OSCE states subscribe."

The Chairman-in-Office encouraged the Armenian authorities to continue their work on amendments to the Armenian Electoral Code in order to strengthen the impartiality, professionalism and transparency of electoral administration.

"I hope the suggestions made by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights [ODIHR]/Council of Europe experts, a few weeks ago, were useful and the suggested amendments will be taken into account", the OSCE Chairman said.

Minister Rupel also raised the issue of violence against journalists. "Independent and free media are essential for the development of a democratic society," he stressed, adding: "We count on the Armenian authorities to investigate all attacks."