Mediamax, Armenia
Jan 28 2009

Armenian minister says Karabakh talks in Zurich "useful and constructive"

Yerevan, 28 January: Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Edvard
Nalbandyan stated in Zurich today that the meeting of the Armenian and
Azerbaijani presidents had been "useful and constructive", a Mediamax
special correspondent reports from Switzerland.

As the Mediamax special correspondent reports from Switzerland, the
Armenian foreign minister stated that the "tone and the atmosphere of
the meeting were positive".

Edvard Nalbandyan noted that "the presidents stated that their
meetings are regular and the fact attaches certain dynamism to the
process".

"There is certain progress, which is expressed in the fact that from
meeting to meeting the presidents better understand each other’s
stances, the difficulties and the obstacles, which are there on the
way of the settlement," the Armenian foreign minister stated. He noted
that the presidents had discussed various issues, related to the
opportunities to make the stances on the Madrid principles closer.

The [OSCE Minsk Group] co-chairs agreed upon visiting the region
within a month, and the presidents charged the foreign ministers with
continuing talks, Edvard Nalbandyan stated.

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov agreed to the words of
his Armenian counterpart concerning the fact that the sides have
started better understanding each other.

"There is dynamics, there is movement, and my Armenian counterpart and
I should continue talks with the participation of the mediators," he
noted.

The Armenian foreign minister stressed that the matter now is
coordination of the settlement principles. "Only after there is
agreement on the principles, the sides will start working on the basic
document," Edvard Nalbandyan stated.

The Mediamax special correspondent reports that the US and French
mediators, Matthew Bryza and Bernard Fassier, also stated that both
presidents described their meeting as "positive and constructive" and
noted presence of dynamics in the settlement process.