YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)–Co-chairs of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s Minsk Group for Nagorno-Karabakh–Valentin Lozinsky from Russia and Jacques Blaut from France–as well as US Undersecretary of State Strobe Talbott arrived in Yerevan Friday for a two day visit. The US co-chairman of the Minsk Group Joseph Presel was already in Armenia.
A meeting between Levon Ter-Petrosyan and Presel was scheduled for the same day.
Sources report that plans of a meeting between the three co-chairs and Ter-Petrosyan were also in planning stages.
The delegation was scheduled to leave for Karabakh hours after arriving in Yerevan–and return to the Armenian Capital on Saturday.
Prime Minister Robert Kocharian met with Presel Thrusday.
The sides discussed the current situation and perspectives for resolution of the Karabakh conflict.
Presel hoped that serious changes in the negotiations will take place in the future–since the co-chairs have a positive attitude. Hopefully–the situation will be resolved without delays–and all possible efforts will be taken to make the negotiations efficient–the official said.
National Assembly Speaker Babken Ararktsian met with Presel Thursday. The OSCE official said that proposals–based on the mutual concessions of all sides–will be proposed to the participants of the conflict. In turn–Ararktsian presented his views on its resolution.
He stressed that the proposed solutions should–first of all–be acceptable to the people of Karabakh–and stressed the importance of direct negotiations between Baku and Stepanakert.