Azernews.Az

BAKU – The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs seeking to broker a settlement to the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorno Karabakh have said there has been "positive movement" in the peace process since the Russian-brokered talks of the two countries’ presidents in October 2010.

Bernard Fassier of France, Robert Bradtke of the United States, and Igor Popov of Russia said in a statement on Friday following their talks with Azerbaijani and Armenian officials that the sides should "make further progress to allow the peace process to proceed to its next phase".

The co-chairs pledged their support for the sides as they make the necessary decisions to reach a peaceful settlement. To promote a climate conducive to peace, the mediators again urged the parties "to show restraint both on the ground and in their public statements".

The Minsk Group co-chairs on February 8-11 visited Yerevan and Baku where they held meetings with the two countries’ presidents, ministers of foreign affairs and defense. In their meetings in both countries, the co-chairs stressed that "the time has arrived for decisive action on behalf of peace to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict."

Azerbaijani Defense Minister Safar Abiyev said while hosting the co-chairs on Friday that Azerbaijan is making extensive preparations to liberate its territories from Armenian occupation, noting that "in such a situation any country would be doing the same, and no one can blame Azerbaijan in this respect". Abiyev said Armenia must relinquish its policy of occupation, and only in this case could a peaceful solution be reached to the Karabakh conflict.

The Karabakh conflict emerged in 1988 due to Armenia’s territorial claims. The two countries fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a cease-fire in 1994. About 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory, including Nagorno Karabakh and seven adjacent regions, is under the occupation of the Armenian armed forces. Peace talks between Baku and Yerevan are underway on the basis of the Madrid principles, a peace outline proposed by the mediators.