Co-Chairs urge sides to prepare their publics for compromises

After four days of meetings, the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs (Ambassador Yuri Merzlyakov – Russian Federation; Ambassador Bernard Fassier – France; Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Bryza – United States) are encouraged by the constructive approach of the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan as they seek to finalize a set of basic principles for the resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

Russian Federation Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov hosted Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov for talks facilitated by the Co-Chairs in Moscow on Tuesday, January 23.

The Co-Chairs met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Baku on Wednesday, January 24.

On Thursday, January 25, they traveled to Nagorno-Karabakh to meet with separatists' leader Arkadi Gukasyan.

They met with Armenian President Robert Kocharyan in Yerevan on Friday, January 26.

The Co-Chairs appreciate the efforts of all the interlocutors they met during the week. It is the responsibility of the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan, with the assistance of the Co-Chairs, to find a lasting, peaceful resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

The presidents are defending their national interests vigorously, and they are doing so in a way that allows the peace process to continue moving forward.

The Co-Chairs urge all parties to sustain this momentum in the negotiations and to prepare their publics for the necessary compromises.

At the same time, the Co-Chairs urge continued pursuit of confidence-building measures and maintenance of the ceasefire to increase the level of trust and understanding between the sides, the U.S embassy press service told the APA.