Bernard Fassier: ‘We urge Karabakh conflict parties to continue negotiations to achieve results’

Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia, Ilham Aliyev and Serzh Sargsyan may meet to negotiate a peaceful settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict at the beginning of 2012,  French co-chair of OSCE Minsk Group Bernard Fassier said at the final press conference at the conclusion of his work as co-chair.

Fassier noted that, the mediators and the head of the co-chair of OSCE Minsk Group called for the meeting at the Council of foreign ministers in Vilnius. "We urge the parties to continue negotiations in order to achieve results," Fassier noted.

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The negotiating process over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is complex, since it's hard to obtain the consent of the conflicting parties to any proposals of the mediators, the French co-chair of OSCE Minsk Group on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Bernar Fassier said at his final press-conference.

Fassier underscored, that if there was no written document in the negotiation process, then now such document does exist - an updated version of Madrid principles. As another positive factor, Fassier named the opportunity for the mediators to visit the occupied territories.

"Unfortunately, our hopes for the Kazan meeting of Presidents of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia in June did not work. But we must be optimistic, there is hope that there will be progress in the negotiations," Fassier added.

French co-chair met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and chairman of Caucasian Muslims Sheykhulislam Haji Allahshukur Pashazade during a farewell visit to the region.



/Trend/