On November 2nd the Presidents of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a declaration regarding the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict that assumes international guarantees based on legal terms. It reads in part that, “The Presidents have resolved to assist in improving the situation in the Southern Caucasus.” In addition they emphasized the important role of the OSCE Minsk Group in the negotiations process. The Presidents confirmed that the realization of a peaceful settlement must be directed by legally grounded international guarantees. Presidents Medvedev, Aliyev and Sargsyan agreed to continue working towards a political resolution of the conflict on a top official level and commissioned their Foreign Affairs Ministers and staff to jump start work in this direction. In an interview given to the Itar-Tass news agency, Yuri Merzlyakov, the Russian Co-Chair of the Minsk Group stated that the main significance of the declaration is an agreement of the opposing sides of the 1994 conflict put on paper. “What is important is that since 1994 there hasn’t been such a document at the bottom of which the two opposing sides have placed their signatures.” Merzlyakov noted. He viewed the declaration as “a very significant document” that can give a new thrust to efforts to the ongoing peace process.