For his part, visiting Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov hailed the "brotherly" relations between Tehran and Baku, saying there are no obstacles to the enhancement of political, economic, cultural and social ties with Tehran.

In an unusually long statement issued on Saturday (9 March), the co-Chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group said they are preparing for a Pashinyan-Aliyev summit under their auspices and underlined "the importance of maintaining an environment conducive to productive discussions"

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EUSR Toivo Klaar reaffirmed that the European Union is interested in making a positive contribution to the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

According to the press service of the European External Action Service, Morgherini "advocated Prime Minister Pashinyan’s full engagement in negotiations without preconditions, under the auspices of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs".

The president of the European Council on Tuesday met with visiting Armenian prime minister Nikol Pashinyan to discuss bilateral relations and regional issues

The president told Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak Azerbaijan was the side most interested in the earliest peaceful solution of the Karabakh conflict but Armenia did not show any serious intentions to conduct substantive negotiations.

Speaking at the European parliament the Armenian prime minister hailed "the constructive and balanced approach of the European Union" on the Karabakh issue, He also said that the CEPA agreement with the EU was of tremendous importance for Armenia's reform agenda.

Amid talk of the need to prepare public opinion for an eventual peace over Nagorno-Karabakh the head of a leading think tank in Yerevan questions recent statements by some politicians

The Azerbaijani photo journalist, whose imprisonment two years ago triggered widespread international condemnation, was released from jail on Saturday (2 March) after serving in full his two year prison sentence.