France urges Karabakh conflict sides to back reviewed Madrid principles

PanARMENIAN.Net - 2011 saw no progress in Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement despite mediators’ efforts and Russian, French, U.S. Presidents’ attempts to achieve tangible results, French Minister for European Affairs said.

Jean Leonetti expressed hope that 2012 will witness intensification of the negotiation process and called on parties to Karabakh conflict to support the reviewed Madrid principles, PanARMENIAN.Net correspondent reported from Vilnius.

The so-called Madrid principles were submitted to Armenia and Azerbaijan in November 2007 in Madrid, Spain. These call for “security guarantees and the deployment of international peacekeepers; withdrawal of Armenian and Nagorno Karabakh forces from the territories adjacent to Nagorno Karabakh, with special modalities for Kelbajar and Lachin; return of displaced persons; Nagorno Karabakh’s final status to be determined eventually by a vote, with an interim status to be settled on until that time; and reopening of all transport and trade routes.”

Since then, the document has undergone significant mutations. However, the sides cannot agree on a number of key issues. The June 24 meeting in Kazan on the initiative of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev ended without result, due to Azerbaijan unwillingness to accept the revised document submitted by the mediators.