Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec 19 /Trend S.Agaeva/
The negotiating process over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is complex, since it's hard to obtain the consent of the conflicting parties to any proposals of the mediators, the French co-chair of OSCE Minsk Group on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Bernar Fassier said at his final press-conference.
Fassier underscored, that if there was no written document in the negotiation process, then now such document does exist - an updated version of Madrid principles.
As another positive factor, Fassier named the opportunity for the mediators to visit the occupied territories.
"Unfortunately, our hopes for the Kazan meeting of Presidents of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia in June did not work. But we must be optimistic, there is hope that there will be progress in the negotiations," Fassier added.
French co-chair met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and chairman of Caucasian Muslims Sheykhulislam Haji Allahshukur Pashazade during a farewell visit to the region.
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.