Personal representatives of Armenian and Azeri Presidents hold Nagorno-Karabakh talks in Prague

PRAGUE, 14 May 2002 - Personal Representatives of the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan are meeting at Stirin, outside Prague, under the Chairmanship of the OSCE Minsk Group. The meeting, which began on Monday, is due to last until 15 May.

During a visit to the South Caucasus region in March 2002, the Minsk Group Co-Chairmen presented to President Geidar Aliyev of Azerbaijan and President Robert Kocharian of Armenia a proposal for an additional level of negotiations between the two Presidents. These negotiations supplement - and do not replace - the ongoing direct dialogue between the two Presidents, as well as the work and periodic visits to the region of the Minsk Group Co-Chairmen. The two Presidents accepted this proposal and agreed to appoint personal Representatives at the level of deputy foreign ministers.

At this first round of talks at this new level, President Kocharian is represented by Deputy Foreign Minister Tatoul Markarian, and President Aliyev is represented by Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov.

The OSCE created the Minsk Group in 1992 to facilitate a political solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Co-Chairmen of the Minsk Group are represented by Ambassador Nikolai Gribkov for the Russian Federation, Ambassador Philippe de Suremain for France and Ambassador Rudolf Perina for the United States of America.