Warmly greeting the guest, head of the Azerbaijani state Ilham Aliyev said:

- Dear guests,

You are welcome you, you are welcome to Azerbaijan.

This is the first visit of the Minsk Group co-chairs to the region after the Presidential elections in Azerbaijan. I hope that in the course of the visit we shall have a comprehensive exchange of views. Earlier I did not take part in the process, connected with settlement of the said issue. I had another missions. We better to look back and exchange views on further perspectives.

The Armenian-Azerbaijani, Nagorno Karabakh conflict does not find its solution for many years, what causes great concern. Today, the whole world community is aware that Armenia unleashed military aggression against our country and occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s territories. In the result of this aggression, over one million Azerbaijani citizens became refugees and IDPs.

Today, they speak fairly on human rights. However, it should also be considered that roughly was violated the elementary rights of over one million people. Armenia and Azerbaijan are members of both CIS and the Council of Europe. In XXI century, in Europe, a country keeps under occupancy territories of another this is an unbearable fact, which is necessary to put an end as quickly as possible.

It has been for 10 years that we live in the ceasefire conditions. This is a positive fact in itself. In particular, if to take into account that the ceasefire regime is observed without participation of the international forces, then, it deserves much more acknowledgment. But, along with it, the passed ten years evidence that the conflict reached extremely complicated phase. This also evidences that activity of the OSCE Minsk Group was unsuccessful and did not bring any result.

I would like to dwell in detail on the reasons of such situation, so that we are aware of these reasons. But, unfortunately, the said mechanism does not act, and this is also fact. I am not going to discuss the Minsk Group. All know that such delay of settlement of the conflict, first, is connected with the destructive position of Armenia. I hope that the world community, will finally impact on Armenia and in the result of this impact, the justice will win, territorial integrity of Azerbaijan will be restored, and one million refugees and IDPs will return to their homelands.

You are likely aware that community of Azerbaijan is losing hope to activity of Minsk Group, there is an opinion that the pervious unsuccessful activity of this Group evidences on futility of its further work. I would not think so, I want to believe that further activity of the Minsk Group will enable us to reach settlement of the conflict and achieve a fair peaceful agreement in accordance with the norms of international law. In addition, we know that no other structure, besides the Minsk group, is engaged in mediation in settlement of the conflict. Therefore, I am ready to cooperate with the Minsk Group and believe in this cooperation. I would also like to believe that in the result of this cooperation we could reach the mentioned goal.

Then, was speaking at the reception, the first deputy foreign minister of Russia Vyacheslav Trubnikov. He said:

- Dear Mr. President,

Permit me, first, ob behave of the Minsk Group co-chairs to congratulate You with the persuasive victory at the elections and express my gratitude that You so quickly, operatively, literally, in a month after assuming the post of President, receive the co-chairs.

We attach to this visit great importance. As it is the fist meeting of the co-chairs with the new President of Azerbaijan and our fist visit to the region after a yearly long break. We hope for close and useful cooperation with You in settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. We nicely realize what importance has the conflict and its sequences, in particular, occupation by Armenia a part of Azerbaijani territories, existence of hundreds of thousands internally displaced people, and connected with this spirit of public opinion has for Azerbaijan. We always highly appreciate adherence of Your father, Heydar Aliyev, to peaceful settlement of the conflict by negotiations. This is an only possible way for fair and mutually acceptable solution of the problem. And any attempts of force actions in settlement of the conflict, can only deepen the situation. To this end, we are hopeful by Your intention to continue policy of Your father, including in the connection with Nagorno Karabakh.

If to assess present state of things, then we are obliged to acknowledge that the process of settlement of conflict after 2001 became notably slipped, while a year ago, it was completely reached a standstill. It had both objective and subjective reasons. Now, the situation, we think, is favorable that the sides resumes the talks, acted responsibly, dynamically, initiatively, basing on experience of the pervious negotiations, where there are much positive.

Should we expect that the Minsk Group co-chairs would make new and ready proposals that will satisfy both sides? We can only assist the sides in conflict to reach compromise, but the resolution, we think, they must find themselves.

Therefore, I would like to know on what base do You see such compromise, that is, the possible settlement of the conflict? With what position will Azerbaijan go to the talks, resume of which all are waiting with impatience? We, naturally, have a question on Your readiness to meet with President Kocharyan. If yes, then on what terms and how? We have appropriate views and suggestion for this, which we share. We suppose that Your meeting with Kocharyan could give impulse to resume the talks and, of course, would encourage us to make new efforts for the process. We adhere fulfillment of that task which we have been assigned by Minsk Group. WE are going to activate our efforts.

We are very pleased with Your statement that Your are ready to closely cooperate with us. It imparts hope that the impulse to be given to the process, will end in a real conclusion, from which will win Azerbaijan, the refugees and IDPs in the territory of Azerbaijan. We account that our visit to the region will set new opportunities for us to act more intensively. We also worked in format of troika, and we constantly participated at the meetings that took place between Heydar Aliyev and the President of Armenia. We are going to continue this work.

We also would like that the mechanism which was put into motion and which we called the Prague process, somehow resumed its work in the interval between the meetings of the two presidents and their practical work, and that this mechanism was more efficient. We think that You and president of Armenia, as people of the new modern generation, can initiate new ideas.

This is very necessary for us. We want to convey some of Your directives to the president of Armenia for his concrete activity in future.

I do not want to abuse the schedule. Probably, my colleagues will add something.

The US Minsk Group co-chair Mr. Rudolph Perina said:

- Mr. President,

I would say some words. We met the IDPs in the morning, and talked. We saw their deep feelings and hard plight of them. We were deeply grieved. I would say that the countries we represent and the world community is ashamed that we cannot do anything for the settlement of this conflict.

In the last ten years, we have not reached any success. We wish a sustainable and fair peace in the region. We know that this year was a hard year in settlement of the conflict. We suggest that there will be new and very important chances in this year. It is necessary that both sides took advantage of this chance. We appreciate the meeting with You and wish that this meeting would be a very important and the first step in settlement of the conflict. We would like to hear Your thoughts. We want to know that how you regard the issue. We are grateful once again that You receive us in the first tenure of presidency.

Then, the French co-chair of Minsk Group said:

- It is difficult for me to speak, because Mr. Trubnikov gave detailed information.

I want to speak of the disagreements of the refugees in connection with settlement of the conflict. Last time, I have met the IDPs in Sumgait, where I heard their wishes to return to their homelands. I completely understand their wishes. Mr. President, I think, there is a convenient time for settlement of the conflict. There are two newly elected presidents. May be, it is for the first time since the conflict started that we have such perspectives.

We, three co-chairs hope that we shall reach settlement of the conflict and stable peace by close cooperation with the newly elected President of Azerbaijan. The President of my country, if necessary, is to make every effort for settlement of the conflict.

Expressing his gratitude to the Minsk Group co-chairs, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said:

- It is very good that today you have met the internally displaced people and familiarized with their plight. We, as state and government, do our best to better their plight. But, you know that it is very difficult question. Despite this, the state of Azerbaijan, using its limited financial chances, builds new settlements and villages for internally displaced people, and this process will go on. After a long time, there will not remain any tent camp in Azerbaijan.

At the same time, the refugees in Baku and Sumgait, as well as in other cities, will be rendered assistance. The hostels, dormitories, internally housing places they live will be mounted. In a word, great attention will be paid on their social problems, and I am convicted that soon all will feel it.

But, this is a part of the question. The major item is that they returned to their homelands and the invasion be put an end, and the aggressor liberated the occupied arrears. I deem that Azerbaijan’s demand is fair. We have neither occupied lands of others, nor violated territorial integrity of others. On the contrary, our lands are under occupancy, our territorial integrity has been violated. We, simply try that the international norms be observed in our territories. And we should further continue our cooperation in this direction. I hope that activity of the Minsk Group will yield its fruits. You rightly said that there has been a break in the process. And I deem that in the current phase this process should intensify and thus, we should think over new situation in the years ahead.

***

Also participating was at the meeting, head of the foreign relations department of President Administration Novruz Mammadov, ambassadors of Russia, US and France, Nikolay Ryabov, Reno Harnish and Chantal Poiret.