Press Release by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group

VIENNA, 19 November 2013 - The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (the Russian Federation, France, and the United States of America) welcomed President Ilham Aliyev of the Republic of Azerbaijan and President Serzh Sargsian of the Republic of Armenia to Vienna to advance discussions on the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, accompanied by their Foreign Ministers.  They were joined by the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson in Office.  This was the Presidents’ first meeting since their January 2012 summit in Sochi.

During their private one-on-one meeting and the working session afterward with the Co-Chairs and the Ministers, the Presidents discussed a broad range of issues related to the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The Presidents agreed to advance negotiations toward a peaceful settlement.  They instructed their Foreign Ministers to continue to cooperate with the Co-Chairs to build on the work to date  with the aim of intensifying the peace process.  They agreed to meet again in the months ahead.

As a next step, the Co-Chairs are organizing working sessions with the Ministers on the margins of the OSCE Ministerial Council, which will take place on December 5-6 in Kyiv.  The Co-Chairs plan to visit the region before the  end of this year.