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Russia, Moscow, 1 August / Trend corr. R.Agayev/ OSCE Minsk Group's co-chairs believe negotiations on settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict which took place between Azerbaijani and Armenian Foreign Ministers in Moscow on 1 August were constructive. "We go forward and do our utmost. Now I cannot say whether
it is a progress or not, but the negotiations are constructive and it is a
very important advancement," U.S. co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group said at a
briefing on 1 August. |
"I can only cite the words of the foreign ministers. They said the meeting was constructive. We, co-chairs, think both ministers were satisfied with the results of the meeting," OSCE Minsk Group's Russian co-chair Yuri Merzlyakov said.
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and his Armenian counterpart Edward Nalbandyan met in Moscow on 1 August to discuss basic principles of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict settlement.
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According to Merzlyakov, the press differently treats the Minsk Group. "One cannot say we are inactive, since that was the third meeting of the ministers within recent three months. The Presidents also met, we paid a visit to the region. One could not be more active," he said. "I think the quantity will be transformed into quality.
That will happen. But it is most difficult to foretell the time, so we will
not," said Merzlyakov. |
The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus began in 1988 due to Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since 1992, Armenian Armed Forces have occupied 20% of Azerbaijan including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven surrounding districts. In 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which time the active hostilities ended. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Russia, France, and the US) are currently holding peaceful negotiations.
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