Armenian, Azeri FMs talk Karabakh at Kyiv meeting (updated)

PanARMENIAN.Net -

Kyiv hosted a meeting between Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers. Following a tête-à-tête conversation, Edward Nalbandian and Elmar Mammadyarov were joined by the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group: Igor Popov of Russia, Jacques Fore of France, James Warlick of the U.S., and Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk.

At the meeting, the parties continued discussions in the context of the November 19 presidential meeting in Vienna to promote peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict. Among issues discussed were measures aimed at reduction of tensions at conflict zone.

The parties agreed to continue discussions in near future, with co-chairs announcing plans to visit the region in near future.

Following the meeting, the heads of delegation of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries and the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia issued a joint statement.

“On the occasion of the OSCE Ministerial Council Meeting in Kyiv, the Heads of Delegation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries (Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergei Lavrov, Minister for European Affairs of France Thierry Repentin, Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland) and the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov and Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian agreed to continue working together on a just and peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict on the basis what has been already achieved.

The Co-Chair Heads of Delegation welcomed the recent resumption of high-level dialogue between the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia, and expressed their hope that upcoming meetings will advance the peace process. They encouraged the sides to consider measures that would reduce tensions in the region.

The Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia agreed to meet again in early 2014 under the auspices of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs, in order to facilitate further talks at the highest level. The Ministers noted that the people of the region expect and deserve progress in settlement of the conflict that has endured far too long, and expressed their appreciation for the mediation role of the Co-Chair countries,” the statement said.