The foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan held a marathon four hour meeting in Paris on Thursday, (16 January). Azerbaijan's Elmar Mammadyarov and Armenia's Zohrab Mnatsakanyan held their fourth meeting since the latter's appointment in May of last year.
A statement issued by the co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk process, who facilitated the meeting, said:
"The Ministers discussed a wide range of issues related to the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and agreed upon the necessity of taking concrete measures to prepare the populations for peace. During the meetings, the Co-Chairs reviewed with the Ministers key principles and parameters for the current phase of the negotiation process. The Ministers and the Co-Chairs considered next steps toward a possible summit between the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia in order to give a strong impulse to the dynamic of negotiations. The Co-Chairs underlined the importance of possible mutually beneficial initiatives designed to fulfill the economic potential of the region. The Co-Chairs plan to meet the leaders of the two countries in the near future."
read the full statement of the OSCE Minsk process co-Chairs here
On its website, the Armenian foreign ministry stated that the meeting was a useful and constructive exchange of ideas, which was also aimed at broader mutual understanding and mutual trust.During the more than four-hour meeting, the interlocutors touched upon a wide range of issues related to the peace process, including the preparing the people for peace, security and sustainable regional development. The new deadline is not yet confirmed, nevertheless, the foreign ministers agreed to continue consistent, purposeful contacts in the coming months.
A similar statement was made on the website of the Azerbaijani foreign ministry which speaks of positive exchanges, including on the importance of constructing more understanding and confidence. During the talks, the parties discussed a number of issues, including ways to prepare the people of both sides for peace, security and sustainable regional development, the Azerbaijani statement said.
Commonspace.eu political editor said there is definetely a positive mood in the air following these discussions, as reflected by the statements of the sides and of the international mediators. All eyes will now be on preparations for an Aliyev-Pashinyan meeting in the coming weeks.
source: commonspace.eu
photo: The foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan held a marathon four hour meeting in Paris on Thursday, 16 January).
