OSCE head

Heads of Delegation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries issue a statement.

Lavrov

Elmar Mammadyarov

Prime Minister

Armenian PM

The statement came from Foreign Ministry spokesman Elman Abdullayev at a briefing.

Diplomats from the 57 member states are gathering in Dublin for their 19th Ministerial meeting.

In an end of year essay on the state of play in the South Caucasus, long time regional analyst Dennis Sammut says that democrats in the South Caucasus, and their friends, need not be ecstatic about the achievements of 2012. But they can allow themselves a moment of optimism and satisfaction.

The visit of the Russian President Vladimir Putin to Turkey helps to diffuse speculation about increasing tensions between the two Eurasian powers on foreign policy.