Experts try to resolve the conflict

I. We, two experts from the Republic of Armenia and the Azerbaijani Republic, in anticipation of the OSCE Astana summit onl-2 December 2010, before stating the essence of our forthcoming roadmap for Karabakh conflict resolution, declare that:

1. The conflict resolution process has become more active in the recent two years.

2. Peaceful options of conflict resolution have not been exhausted.

II. We call upon the conflicting parties:

1. Express a common position concerning the basic Madrid principles.

2. Support the L'Aquila Declaration of 10 July 2009 and the Muscoca Declaration of 26 June 2010 made by the presidents of the United States of America, the Russian Federation and France.

3. Respect the demands set by the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the additional Protocols of 1977.

III. We have agreed on the principles and basic elements of a roadmap for Karabakh conflict resolution.

The basic principles include:
• common benefit,
• complementarity,
• co-dependency,
• civil society's will.

The first basic element is a white paper for transport in the South Caucasus. Among other elements, we accentuate measures towards confidence-building on individual and civil society levels.

Stepan Grigoryan, political scientist

Rauf Rajabov, policy analyst