The title was changed, the details were added (the first version was posted at 5:08 p.m.)
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, U.S President Barack Obama and French President Nicolas Sarkozy called on the Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders to demonstrate the political will and to finalize the work over the basic principles of [the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict] during the upcoming Armenian-Azerbaijani summit in June, ITAR-TASS reported.
"The further delay will only put the commitment of the parties to reach the agreements under a question," a joint statement of the three presidents of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries said.
"When the agreement is reached, we are ready to witness the formal adoption of these principles, to assist in the development of the peace agreement and to support its implementation with our international partners," a statement said.
"We confirm that only settlement through the negotiations may bring peace, stability and reconciliation, by opening up the opportunities for regional development and cooperation," the statement said. Obama, Sarkozy and Medvedev are convinced that it is time for all the parties of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to take a step towards a peaceful settlement.
They emphasized that the use of force led to the current situation of confrontation and instability. "Its repeated use will bring more suffering and devastation," they said. "It will be condemned by the international community. We urge the leaders of the parties to prepare the population for peace, not war."
They stated that significant progress was made as a result of the efforts made by the parties and co-chairing countries at all levels. The latest version of the fundamental principles, discussed in Sochi on March 5, provides for a fair and balanced basis to prepare the comprehensive peace settlement," a joint statement said. They said that this document allows the parties to overcome the current unacceptable state of affairs.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. - are currently holding the peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and the occupied territories.