From the Talk of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev with the Acting Chairman of OSCE, Foreign Ministers of the Co-Chair Countries of the Minsk Group of OSCE and the President of Armenia – Istanbul, Palace of Chiragan, November 18, 1999

Hubert Védrine (foreign minister of France): “I greet the participants of the meeting cordially and want to declare that the development of Azerbaijan and Armenia, which have chosen the road of independence, depends on the peace and stability in the region. France, which is one of the members of the Minsk Group of OSCE and one of its co-chairs, is engaged in the peaceful solution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh and I declare to you that my country is ready to render all kinds of assistance to ensuring peace and stability in the region.”

 

Madeleine Albright (State Secretary of the United States): “I am very much pleased with this meeting. I declare that the direct meeting of the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia is of great importance for removing the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh peacefully, and the co-chairs of the Minsk Group of OSCE are ready to multiply their efforts for this purpose, and the United States of America is interested in the establishment of peace and security in the region and in the immediate solution of the conflict.” 

Igor Ivanov (foreign minister of Russia): “Russia attaches great importance to the establishment of peace and security in Caucasian region, and I want to draw your attention to the fact that my country as a co-chair of the Minsk Group of OSCE is for the peaceful solution of the conflict, supports the direct and bilateral meetings of the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents, and thins that such meetings are necessary.”                                                          

Heydar Aliyev: “I express my cordial gratitude to you - the participants of this meeting, - for paying great attention to the problems existing in the Caucasian region, the hottest region of the world, which has numerous problems. The Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh, which has been going on for 12 years, has created great difficulties for the development of Azerbaijan, for a country which pursues the road of independence. I have many times declared that we are for the peaceful solution of the conflict, and now I stress once more the vital importance of achieving peace. 

I want to draw the attention of the participants of this meeting that 20 per cent of the Azerbaijani territory is still under occupation as a result of this conflict, over one million of our compatriots have become internally displaced  persons and live in very grave  conditions.  I ask the participants of this meeting to increase their efforts for the immediate solution of this conflict.

I declare with a sense of great regret that the Minsk Group of OSCE has done certain things since 1992, and I want to draw your attention to such a fact that this organization has not gained a notable result yet. I want to note that it is necessary to continue the   tete-a-tete meetings with the President of Armenia, to intensify the activities of the co-chairs of the Minsk Group of OSCE.

 

I am very much pleased that the foreign ministers of the countries, who take part in this meeting, expressed the readiness of their countries to make efforts for the solution of the conflict within the frames of the Minsk Group of OSCE and separately.”
 

Robert Kocharian: “I thank the participants for arranging this meeting and for the interest displayed for the creation of peace in the region. I stress the importance of the tete-a-tete meetings of the presidents of the two countries for the peaceful solution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh.  I attach great importance to the mediation mission of OSCE as well.”

 

Knut Wollebek (acting chairman of OSCE, minister of foreign affairs of Norway): “I highly appreciate the steps undertaken for the solution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh within the frames of the Minsk Group of OSCE, the maintenance of the cease-fire regime and the dialogue which is held between the presidents of the two countries.”

 

Hubert Védrine: “Concluding the meeting I want to express my gratitude to the participants of the meeting for the exchange of views and declare that the world community and OSCE is ready to multiply its efforts for removing the conflict peacefully and as soon as possible.”