At the latest meeting dedicated to the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh dispute, presidents of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia discussed the whole range of issues still pending agreement in the context of draft basic principles for the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh issue. The presidents exchanged views on the most complicated issues and arrived at a common conclusion about the need to continue the work.

The Russian Federation as a State mediating the dispute and a member of the OSCE Minsk Group together with the Co-Chairs from France and the United States will continue its efforts to promote the rapprochement between the parties. According to the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan supported by President Dmitry Medvedev, they reached a common understanding of the fact that to enhance the progress that had obviously been made they should not be maximalists. The joint statement adopted by the presidents today also reflects the willingness to accelerate the elaboration of basic principles to be used at a later stage as a basis for a legally binding agreement.

Furthermore, the presidents for quite a long time were discussing the compliance with the agreement reached right here, in Sochi, almost a year ago, last March, when the presidents expressed their interest in creating a mechanism for the investigation of incidents along the ceasefire line.

At the end of that meeting last year the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, including Russia, France and the USA, came up with a document describing a mechanism for the investigation of incidents along the ceasefire line. Such document was submitted to the presidents today. They noted the work done and asked to continue it, bearing in mind already the need to prescribe specific procedures for taking certain actions to investigate incidents.

According to the joint statement, the presidents of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia are also convinced that direct humanitarian, cultural, educational and other contacts – contacts between people – are essential to restore trust and to enhance it, as well as to create the most favorable conditions for taking political decisions as well.

Baku and Yerevan asked Russia to initiate such contacts. President Dmitry Medvedev, of course, agreed. We have always been in favor of such humanitarian relationships and will play our role of a mediator in that area as well.

Press-service of the President of the Russian Federation