Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan Conclude Negotiations in Bern

BERN — On December 19, in the capital of the Swiss Confederation Bern the President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sarkisian and President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliev conducted negotiations aimed at the resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh issue. The negotiations were mediated by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group.

The meeting, which took place at the Landgut “Lohn” reception hall of the Swiss government, started with the participation of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the two countries Edward Nalbandian and Elmar Mamedyarov, Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group Igor Popov (Russia), James Warlick (USA), Pierre Andrieu (France) and the Personal Representative of the OCSE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej Kasperzuk and later was followed by the tête-a-tête meeting of the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The negotiations focused on steps aimed at reducing tension in the conflict area and possibilities to move forward with the resolution of the issue. At the conclusion of the negotiations, Minister of Foreign Affairs Edward Nalbandian responded to the questions of the representatives of the Armenian mass media and commented on the results of the meeting.

The meeting comes amid heightened tensions as clashes erupt regularly along the border shared by the two states.

Ahead of the meeting, the co-chairs of the Minsk Group said on December 18 that they hoped that Sarkisian and Aliyev would agree to boost the cease-fire regime and revive the protracted search for a compromise peace deal.

In Bern, President Sarkisian met also with the Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland Didier Burkhalter.