Finland, Helsinki, 4 December/ corr Trend E.Gusatinskaya / "Good job was done and progress was achieved this year. I believe the [Armenian -Azerbaijani] Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will be settled soon. However, it will hardly possible to find final solution to the dispute tomorrow [4 December] in Helsinki," OSCE Chairman-in-Office Alexander Stubb said at a news conference on 3 December.
The 16th meeting of the OSCE Council of foreign ministers begins in Finland on 4 December incorporating 50 foreign ministers, 1,200 delegates and over 2500 journalists.
Stubb appreciated work of the Minsk Group calling it "most appropriate format for settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh problem".
According to Stubb, one of main themes of the summit to open in Helsinki will be lingering conflicts in former Soviet Union, first - situation in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, as well as Nagorno-Karabakh and Transdniestria. "Resolution of lingering conflicts in South Ossetia, Nagorno-Karabakh and Transdniestria should not be outsourced, although OSCE was not able to prevent war in Georgia this summer," OSCE chairman-in-office said. "Now chances to reach consensus is better than they were lately," he said.
On 3 December Helsinki hosted first meetings, including meeting between the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia - Elman Mamedyarov and Edward Nalbandyan, as well as Mamedyarov's meeting with co-chairmen of OSCE Minsk Group - Yuri Merzliakov, Russia, Matthew Bryza, the United States, Bernard Fassier, France, and personal representative of OSCE chairman-in-office , Andrzej Kasprzyk.
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