New Russian co-chair of OSCE Minsk Group arrives in Azerbaijan

New Russian co-chair of OSCE Minsk Group Igor Popov arrived in Baku this morning together with the previous co-chair Yuri Merzlyakov.

The new co-chair told ITV at Heydar Aliyev International Airport that he would make efforts to contribute to the solution to the conflict.

“The negotiations on Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh conflict continue rapidly. I will work to make contribution to the solution to the conflict. I will continue the activity of the previous diplomat. The position of Russia concerning the conflict is clear. The replacement of the co-chair will not change the position. The main thing is not to lose the high activeness observed in the process of negotiations,” he said.

Expressing regret over his last visit to Azerbaijan as a co-chair, Yuri Merzlyakov said they would hold serious discussions in Baku.

“I regret that this is my last visit to Baku as a co-chair. First of all, I will introduce the new co-chair to the Azerbaijani officials. Moreover, we will hold serious discussions. This is the last, but effective visit,” he said.

American co-chair Robert Bradtke is expected to arrive in Baku this afternoon. French co-chair Bernard Fassier will not come to Azerbaijan this time. The co-chairs will hold discussions with the Azerbaijani officials on the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

Earlier, the co-chairs had visited Yerevan and Khankendi.

Igor Valentinovich Popov was born in 1954. He graduated from Moscow State International Relations Institute. He knows English and Portuguese. He has been working at the Foreign Ministry since 1981. He worked in the ministry’s central office and foreign representations. He was appointed deputy director of CIS First Department in 2000. Under the decree issued by Russian President on July 15, 2005, he was appointed Russian ambassador to Mozambique. Since 2006, he had been Russian ambassador to the Kingdom of Swaziland simultaneously.


/APA/