OSCE Chairman hopeful of progress on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

New York, 26 September 2003 - The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Netherlands Foreign Minister Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, expressed hope that the Co-Chairmen of the Minsk Group will be able to make some progress on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict during the Dutch Chairmanship.

While in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, the Chairman of the OSCE met the Foreign Minister of Armenia, Vartan Oskanian, and of Azerbaijan, Vilayat Guliyev.

"The fact that both countries have been faced with elections has not allowed for new efforts of the Minsk Group," the Minister said after his meetings. "But I am happy to see that both Foreign Ministers expressed some optimism that the period following elections might create some new momentum in the discussions on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict."

"We talked about the prospect of stepping up the engagement of the Minsk Group," said Minister de Hoop Scheffer, who will meet the Co-Chairs of the Group in The Hague on 30 September.

"I will be briefed by the Co-Chairs ahead of their scheduled meetings with the parties in this conflict. The Netherlands Chairmanship would be pleased if it could contribute to moving the negotiations forward."

"I have also informed both Ministers of my intention to visit the region at the end of October," he added.