Statement by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group

ZURICH, 29 January 2009 - The Co-Chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group released the following statement today:

"The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Ambassador Bernard Fassier - France; Ambassador Yuri Merzlyakov - Russian Federation; Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Bryza - United States) traveled to Baku on January 19, 2009, where they met with President Ilham Aliyev and Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, and to Yerevan on January 20, 2009, where they met with President Serzh Sarkisyan and Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian.

The Co-Chairs met again jointly with Foreign Ministers Mammadyarov and Nalbandian in Zurich on January 27, 2009, and organized a joint meeting with Presidents Aliyev and Sarkisyan in Zurich on January 28, 2009, on the margins of the World Economic Forum.

The Co-Chairs explored with the two Presidents their thoughts on how to finalize the Basic Principles on the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, proceeding from the proposal presented to the sides at the OSCE Ministerial Conference in Madrid in November 2007.

The Co-Chairs agreed to work with the Foreign Ministers on elaborating proposals for the consideration of the two Presidents on the most important remaining differences between the sides existing within the framework of the Basic Principles. The Co-Chairs hope the parties will be able to bridge these remaining differences in the nearest future to secure a peace agreement that is far better for all parties than the status quo. Their goal is a just and balanced agreement based on the Helsinki Final Act principles of territorial integrity, self-determination, and non-use of force."