Azernews.Az

YEREVAN - Armenia is ready to continue holding talks with Azerbaijan on Upper (Nagorno) Karabakh conflict under the peace outline proposed by international mediators based on the proposals made at the Russian-brokered presidential talks held in June, Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian told Russia’s Rossiya 24 TV channel.

Yerevan claims that Moscow had made new proposals on Karabakh settlement based on the Madrid Document during the meeting among Russian, Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents held in St. Petersburg June 17. Azerbaijan has said these were "working proposals" that do not reflect the overall position of the mediating OSCE Minsk Group. Baku said that it generally accepts the renewed Madrid principles early this year and is ready to kee on negotiating based on this document.

Nalbandian highly assessed Russia’s efforts as the Minsk Group co-chair.

"Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is making ample efforts to bring the sides’ positions closer for a peaceful settlement of the conflict. At his initiative and in his presence, a number of meetings have been held between the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan, which were very useful."

Nalbandian also said that on President Medvedev’s orders, Karabakh settlement talks are underway on the level of foreign ministers with the mediation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. He added: "All these mediating efforts by Russia are fully supported by the other co-chairs - the United States and France."

The Karabakh conflict emerged during the last few years of the Soviet Union. 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s territory, including Nagorno Karabakh and seven adjacent districts, has been under Armenian occupation since the two South Caucasus republics signed a precarious cease-fire in 1994 following a lengthy war. Peace talks have been largely fruitless so far.