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President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly: Allegations that one of the parties has received a large amount of weapons must be fully investigated

14 March 2009 08:36 (UTC +04:00)

â€œThe OSCE Parliamentary Assembly has always supported the efforts to
negotiate a peaceful and balanced solution to the conflict on
Nagorno-Karabakh, in conjunction with the OSCE Minsk Group,â€ he said.
â€We have also reiterated that there is no military solution to this
conflict. The only way to settle this issue is through political means,
with the full engagement of both countries.
The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly has sponsored several meetings between
the parliamentary delegations of Armenia and Azerbaijan. These meetings,
together with the participation in the PA Sessions, are important steps
to reinforce the engagement of both countries in dialogue and to keep
all lines of communication open.
Armenia and Azerbaijan are integrated in the same geopolitical space
and would greatly benefit from a greater economic cooperation. These
exchanges would be the basis for further enhancement of economic ties
and would include the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The Eastern
Partnership of the European Union can also play an important role by
increasing exchanges and thus facilitating reconciliation among the
different communities,â€ he said.
â€To this regard we continue to support all initiatives of the OSCE field
missions in the region.
Recently President Emeritus Goran Lennmarker, whom I have appointed as
Special Representative, was in Armenia and Azerbaijan, where he held
talks with the leadership of both countries. He underlined the
importance of giving refugees and internally displaced persons the
possibility to return while also referring to the need to ensure the
rehabilitation of damaged areas.
The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly has been following the talks between
Armenia and Azerbaijan and it is convinced that there is a real chance
for peace. This opportunity must be seized.
Recent developments in the region are somewhat worrying. Allegations
that one of the parties has received a large amount of weapons must be
fully investigated. Any escalation has to be avoided at all costs.
The international community must give all of its support to the
peaceful settlement of this conflict. To this end the role of the OSCE
is crucial, particularly of countries such as Russia and Turkey.
However, the main responsibility remains with Armenia and Azerbaijan. We
all know that in a negotiation the parties must compromise to reach a
common principle. This is what we expect from both leaderships,â€ he said.