Azerbaijan, Baku 15 January / corr Trend K.Ramazanova / Baku believes that the resolution of the Armenian-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh cannot depend on the presidential elections in Azerbaijan and Armenia, Araz Azimov, the Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister, stated on 15 January.
Presidential elections will be held in Armenia and Azerbaijan in February and October. The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, who since 1994 have undertaken the mediation mission on the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, last December for the first time submitted to the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia written proposals on the resolution of the conflict. After the meeting in Madrid Elmar Mammadyarov, the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister, stated that in this way the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs wanted to prevent attempts by the new Governments in Azerbaijan and Armenia to pass upon the results achieved over the past three years.
Meanwhile, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, Russian Ambassador Yuriy Merzlyakov, US Ambassador Matthew Bryza and French Ambassador Bernard Fassier launched the next visit to the region. Arriving in Baku Bryza told journalists about the possibilities of an oral agreement to resolve the conflict before the presidential elections are held in Armenia and Azerbaijan.
According to Azimov, over the past three years the sides achieved definite results. "However, they are still insufficient for fundamental changes in talks," Azimov said.
He said that the proposals submitted by the Minsk Group in Madrid, contain some milestones which should be discussed. "We will continue talks on the achievement of an agreement on all principles," the Deputy Minister said.