OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS BRIEF JOURNALISTS IN BAKU

Baku, July 10 (AzerTAc). OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs Matthew Bryza (the United States), Bernard Fassier (France), Yury Merzlyakov (Russia) and Personal Envoy of the OSCE Chairman-in-office Andzei Kaspshik held today a news conference on the outcomes of their visit to Baku.
Yury Merzlyakov said the purpose of the visit was to prepare the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents` next meeting to take place in Moscow.
The mediators described their negotiations in both Armenia and Azerbaijan as “very constructive”, expressinh hope the presidents` upcoming meeting will yield progress and “at least two major questions on the basic principles will be agreed”.
Bernard Fassier said the co-chairs believe all issues on the basic principles will be agreed by the end of the year. “In this case, next year, these principles will be transformed into a draft peace agreement”, he added.
Matthew Bryza said the negotiations have entered a new stage. He underlined they hope the forthcoming meeting will be a step forward for the parties to agree on the basic principles. “At present, discussions are conducted on the basis of a concept and details”, Bryza added.
Commenting on the possibility of the Nagorno-Karabakh Azerbaijani community`s joining the negotiation process, Yury Merzlyakov said “should the Azerbaijani side comprise representatives of the Azerbaijani community of Nagorno-Karabakh, then, it is possible”.
Andzei Kaspshik said decrease of the number of victims on the contact line shows that “the talks are in such stage that no one wants to violate the peace process”.
Prior to arrival in Baku, the co-chairs traveled to Armenia to discuss settlement of the dispute with the country`s officials.