Azeri, Armenian leaders agree to intensify peace talks

Below is astatement by the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group e-mailed late yesterday:

The co-chairsof the OSCE Minsk Group (the Russian Federation, France, and the United Statesof America) welcomed Azeri President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian President Serzh Sargsyanto Vienna to advance discussions on the peaceful settlement of theNagorno-Karabakh conflict, accompanied by their foreign ministers.  Theywere joined by the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson inOffice.  This was the presidents’ first meeting since their January 2012summit in Sochi.

During their private one-on-one meeting and the working session afterward withthe co-chairs and the ministers, the presidents discussed a broad range ofissues related to the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The presidents agreed to advance negotiations toward a peaceful settlement. They instructed their foreign ministers to continue to cooperate with the co-chairsto build on the work to date with the aim of intensifying the peaceprocess.  They agreed to meet again in the months ahead.

As a next step, the co-chairs are organizing working sessions with the ministerson the margins of the OSCE Ministerial Council, which will take place on December 5-6in Kyiv.  The co-chairs plan to visit the region before the end ofthis year.

ANN.Az