Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents expressed their willingness to meet by the end of the year, OSCE Minsk Group U.S. Co-chair James Warlick told reporters on Wednesday, October 28, APA reports.

The Co-chairs are working to specify the details of the meeting, Warlick said.

The Presidents are to discuss continuous ceasefire violations on the contact line and ways to achieve a comprehensive settlement of the conflict, the U.S. Co-chair said.

“The current situation is completely different from that of two years ago. For the first time, we are witnessing the use of heavy artillery on the contact line,” he added.

According to Warlick, the tension is increasing day by day.

“During the meeting, the Presidents must discuss the escalation on the contact line, ways to strengthen confidence-building measures and establish dialogue between the communities”, the Co-chair said.

The Presidents must prepare their peoples for peace, said Warlick, noting that the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict will contribute to the development of the region.

“I understand the concerns of the Azerbaijani and Armenian people in view of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, which has not been resolved for over 20 years now,” Warlick said.

OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs visited the region on Monday, October 26 to ready a meeting between the Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents.