There is strong basis to reach solution to Nagorno-Karabakh conflict: French FM - UPDATE

18:55

“Unfortunately I can’t answer the question on how soon the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will be solved," French Foreign Minister Bernard Koushner said at a meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council in Athens on Dec. 1.

"Of course, we will reach solution to this problem. But I do not know when it will happen," Koushner said.

“It is impossible to press the sides in the peace process. It is impossible to hurry them because it is very sensitive issue. Regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the geopolitical situation in this region is very complicated. Therefore I don’t know when the conflict will be solved," he added.

"But I am sure that it will take place possibly in the next months. Several years ago there were a number of frozen conflicts. There were many conflicts in Balkans, Yugoslavia, Bosnia twenty years ago. But now there is a new tendency. Earlier we couldn’t hold wide discussions over these conflicts, but now we are working to unfreeze those conflicts step-by-step," the French minister said.

16:28

Addressing the 17th session of the OSCE Ministers of Foreign Affairs, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner called on Azerbaijan and Armenia to solve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict soon.

Kouchner said there is a strong basis to reach solution to Nagorno-Karabakh and Transdniestria conflicts.

He noted that important steps were made toward solving the conflict by the OSCE Minsk Group, as well as Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents.

“The presidents met for six times this year only. We hope that the progress will be reached in Athens too and the conflict will be solved soon. I call on the foreign ministers of both countries to reach an agreement on the solution to the conflict and formalize a written agreement," Koushner said.

/APA/