The new proposals on settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict that the co-chairs presented through the United States are about principles of the settlement of the conflict, Russian co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Yuri Merzlyakov said. Referring to his meeting with Armenia's Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian in Moscow on 5-7 April, the co-chair called it efficient and constructive. The co-chair said Armenia shows much interest towards the new proposals. Commenting on the US active participation in mediation after the talks at Rambouillet, Yuri Merzlyakov said there is no competition on the matter of who visits the region more often. "Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev is due to have talks with US President in late April, but Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Azerbaijani President following the talks at Rambouillet," the Russian co-chair said. At the same time, Merzlyakov said it is early to speak of a meeting between the Armenian and Azeri leaders. "The first proposal is made for the time present, how and when the meeting will be held is still subject to discussion," he believes.

Commenting on the question whether French co-chair Bernard Fassier's recent statement that "current proposals can satisfy both sides 80 percent" means that 20 percent of the occupied territories of Azerbaijan will be liberated, the Russian co-chair said, "I cannot calculate how much percent the future agreement will satisfy the sides. The main idea is as follows: the parties should not expect meeting their needs 100 percent. The main thing is not meeting one side's needs 80 percent and the other's 20 percent. If the agreement satisfies both sides 50 percent, I would think I have fulfilled the mediation mission," the co-chair underscored, reports APA.