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Ali Babacan: â€œRespect for the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan must constitute the bedrock of any settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflictâ€

05 December 2008 14:33 (UTC +04:00)

The war in Georgia is a sharp reminder of the potential for conflagration in the so-called protracted conflicts. Now we must rest our hopes on a successful outcome of the talks which have recently started in Geneva. Any solution to the conflict must be based on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia,â€ Foreign Minister of Turkey Ali Babacan said addressing the 16th meeting of OSCE Ministerial Council, APAâ€™s special correspondent reports from Helsinki.
â€œThe ongoing mediation efforts of the Co-Chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group present the best opportunity for a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. We encourage both sides to work with the Co-Chairmen for overcoming their differences and, in the interim, to present to this body a substantive regional declaration pointing the way ahead. In addition to its active membership in the Minsk Group, Turkey continues to contribute to the peace process through its multiple and mutually complementary initiatives. Respect for the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan must constitute the bedrock of any settlement,â€ the minister said.

Touching on Transdnistrian problem Ali Babacan said Turkey was heartened by the recent political momentum generated towards the resolution of the Transdnistrian problem, based on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Moldova.
â€œThe "5+2" format remains the sole negotiating platform capable of addressing the interests and concerns of all the parties. We have proposed to establish a platform for dialogue among the countries of the region, namely the Caucasus Stability and Cooperation Platform. Our initiative, to which we have received positive response, is aimed at complementing the efforts of existing mechanisms and helping restore confidence among the regional States,â€ Ali Babacan said.