The details were added after the second paragraph (the first version was posted at 3:03 p.m.)
Azerbaijan, Baku, July 5 / Trend A. Gasimova /
The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Ambassadors Bernard Fassier of France, Robert Bradtke of the United States, and Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, released the statement that the remaining differences should not prevent the sides from accepting the Basic Principles, the OSCE official website said.
"Although the sides did not reach final agreement on the Basic Principles at
Kazan, progress was made," the statement said.
The outcome of Kazan, including confirmation by the sides that they will continue to seek a negotiated settlement, provides momentum that the parties should use to reach agreement on the Principles as soon as possible, the document said.
Presidents Ilham Aliyev, Dmitry Medvedev and Serzh Sargsyan discussed the basic principles of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement in Kazan. The ninth meeting ended without reaching agreement on the basic principles of settlement. The sides noted the progress towards this goal in a joint statement.
The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group and Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk met separately on July 4 with Secretary General Lamberto Zannier and with the OSCE Minsk Group to discuss the status of the ongoing peace process to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
The Co-Chairs plan to hold consultations in Moscow and to visit the region in
the near future."
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.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.