Azernews.Az

By Rashid Shirinov

The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs proposed a number of creative ideas about the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, said Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.

He made the remarks to Trend when commenting on the results of the Krakow meeting of the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers with participation of OSCE MG co-chairs and Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk on January 18.

Mammadyarov noted that the negotiations on resolution of Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict lasted about six hours. Initially, he met with the co-chairs and Kasprzyk. Afterwards, together with them, Mammadyarov met with the Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian. Following this, the foreign ministers had tete-a-tete meeting, and then Mammadyarov again met with the co-chairs and Kasprzyk.

The minister noted that during the meeting, the co-chairs proposed a number of creative ideas about the resolution of conflict.

“The co-chairs will visit the region in early February to continue discussions on these ideas. In principle, the meetings were held in a positive way. The general approach is that more intensive, substantial and logical negotiations should be continued in order to achieve progress in the conflict settlement and to ensure peace and stability in the region,” Mammadyarov said.

In their joint statement following the meetings in Krakow, the OSCE MG co-chairs – Igor Popov of Russia, Stephane Visconti of France and Andrew Schofer of the U.S. – noted that the parties and co-chairs discussed next steps for facilitating realization of the agreements reached at previous summits dedicated to the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement.

“The foreign ministers agreed in principle to the co-chairs’ revised concept paper for implementing the expansion of the Office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office with a view toward finalizing it as soon as possible,” the statement also notes.

During the meetings, the parties and co-chairs exchanged views on core sensitive issues contained in the working proposals currently on the table.

The co-chairs also called for pursuing trust-building measures as an important contribution to the negotiation process. The ministers and the co-chairs acknowledged the relative calm on the Line of Contact, and the co-chairs urged the parties to reinforce this positive trend.

‎”The co-chairs indicated to the ministers their interest in further discussing the possibility of conducting a follow up to the 2010 assessment mission to the territories affected by the conflict,” reads the statement.

Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with signing of a fragile ceasefire in 1994. Since the war, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.

While the OSCE Minsk Group acted as the only mediator in resolution of the conflict, the occupation of the territory of the sovereign state with its internationally recognized boundaries has been left out of due attention of the international community for years.

Until now, Armenia ignores four UN Security Council resolutions on immediate withdrawal from the occupied territory of Azerbaijan, thus keeping tension high in the region.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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