Azerbaijan, Baku, July 20 / Trend V. Zhavoronkova /
There is certain progress in solving Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Azerbaijani foreign minister Elmar Mammadyarov said at the press-conference in Baku on July 20.
"Co-chairmen will arrive in the region to prepare possible meeting of presidents in Moscow in September. I think there is certain progress in Nagorno-Karabakh settlement. Some hopes occurred after presidents met in Moscow," minister said.
The Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and the Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan held talks on peaceful settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in Moscow on July 7-8.
It is the sixth meeting between the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and the Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan for the last year.
The previous talks between the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and the Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, took place in St. Petersburg on June 4.
The last, fifth meeting on conflict resolution between the two leaders was held in St. Petersburg on June 4. The previous meeting was held in Prague on May 7. The first meeting was held in St. Petersburg in June 2008, the second meeting in Moscow in late November 2008 and the third was held in Zurich on Jan. 28, 2009.
Mammadyarov said that several principles of the agreement were announced. Work over these principles continues. "The Armenian troops must leave the occupied territories," the minister said. "We have already discussed the schedule on which the troops must be withdrawn and after it, we will discuss this issue in more detail."
After it, the issue on refugees' repatriation will be raised, Mammadyarov said.
Mammadyarov said restoration of lands and infrastructure will be held. Big funds are necessary on this regards. This issue is expected to be discussed in EU.
"When I spoke about intensification of settlement of the conflict, first, I stress Russia's intensification in this process," minister said.
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.