Azerbaijan, Baku, March 3 / Trend , E.Rustamov / "Very difficult negotiations took place both in Khankandi and in Yerevan. However, both the Armenian side and we came to the conclusion that it needs to continue the negotiations," the american co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group, Mattew Bryza, said to press conference in Baku on March 3.
Touching upon the meeting of the co-chairmen with the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, the diplomat characterized it as a possibility to further continue the negotiations process.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev received today Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Ambassadors Matthew Bryza of the U.S., Bernard Fassier of France and Yury Merzlyakov of Russia - as well as Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk of Poland.
The meeting focused on current state and prospects of peace talks on the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.
The co-chairs arrived in Baku today to continue talks on resolving the conflict. Their tour included stops in both Khankandi and Yerevan.
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.