ArmInfo. Co-Chairs of OSCE Minsk Group have come out with the following statement:
"The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Ambassadors Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, James Warlick of the United States of America, and Pierre Andrieu of France, as well as the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, met separately with the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan in New York on the margins of the UN General Assembly to continue discussions on a settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
"During the meetings, we paid special attention to implementation of decisions taken at the recent summits in Vienna (May 2016) and St. Petersburg (June 2016). In particular, we discussed further steps that could create an atmosphere for advancing substantial negotiations that could lead to a settlement.
We also exchanged views on proposals that could be discussed between the sides.
Our governments are prepared to host another meeting of the Presidents or Foreign Ministers at the appropriate time.
We plan to visit the region in the near future."
On September 20, while paying a working visit to New York, Edward Nalbandian, Acting Foreign Minister of Armenia, had a meeting with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs Igor Popov, James Warlick, Pierre Andrieu and Andrzej Kasprzyk, Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in- Office. During the meeting a reference was made on the necessity to implement the agreements reached at the Vienna and Saint Petersburg Summits to advance the negotiation process on the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Petersburg Summits to advance the negotiation process on the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Edward Nalbandian emphasized that Azerbaijan has been refusing for couple of months to implement the agreements reached on the level of Presidents at the summits, thus hindering the creation of relevant conditions for the advancement of the negotiation process. On the same day, the mediators met with the foreign minister of Azerbaijan and discussed the need to step up efforts to boost the peace process. Mammadyarov made anti-Armenian allegations saying "Armenia's provocations undermine the peace talks."
On June 20 2016, the Presidents of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia met in Saint Petersburg at the behest of Vladimir Putin. Reaching a settlement to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was the subject of discussion at the meeting, which took place behind closed doors. Following the consultations, the presidents of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan adopted a joint statement reaffirming their commitment to normalizing the situation on the line of contact and giving their approval to an increase in the number of OSCE observers working in the conflict zone. The joint statement also expresses the parties' commitment to putting in place the conditions required for steady progress in negotiations on a political settlement to the conflict. The presidents made a point of their regular contacts on Karabakh and agree to continue them in such format as addition to the efforts by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs who were invited to the final stage of the meeting in St. Petersburg. Meanwhile, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said that the investigative mechanisms at the present stage of the settlement are irrelevant and the issue can be discussed after "withdrawal of Armenian troops from the NKR". He also stressed that the Office of the OSCE CiO Personal Representative can be expanded by no more than 12-13 people. Following the meetings in Vienna and St. Petersburg, France expressed willingness to host the next meeting on Karabakh in August 2016, but no meeting was organized.