The OSCE leadership is interested that the organizational issues related to the Armenian вЂ"Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorny Karabakh were not behind the negotiation process. In this regard, the OSCE high planning group comprising 9 servicemen has been sent to Azerbaijan, deputy Foreign Minister (FM) of Azerbaijan Araz Azimov said in a statement at the briefing on 19 December 2005 in Baku, Trend reports.
He reminded, the OSCE high planning group has been established on the results of the OSCE summit in Budapest and its major goal is resolving of technical and organizational issues, possible stationing of peace-keeping forces in the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict zone. В"It is the first for the latest 8 years visit of the group’s representatives to Azerbaijan and I guess, arrival of the servicemen is connected with the certain activation of the negotiation process, the deputy FM of Azerbaijan noted, saying, that during the previous days the group members, which composition may grow by the necessity, got familiar with the situation in the cease-fire zone.
Аraz Azimov voiced his consent to the position of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairman from Russia Yuri Merzlyakov, who had earlier stated the visit of the high planning group gives ground for “certain optimistic conclusions”.