The statement came from Yuri Merzlyakov, co-chair for Russia, as he was addressing a news conference to sum up the three co-chairs' preceding visit to the Karabakh conflict zone.
As Stephen Mann, co-chair for the USA, emphasised to the conference, the Minsk group countries see peaceful settlement as the only way out of the Karabakh conflict. They firmly believe in that road alone to lead to lasting peace in the area. If things take a different turn, the outcome will certainly be tragic, he warned.
The co-chairs did not mean by their visit to prompt any of the conflicting parties to whatever resolutions. Success at the negotiation table depends on the Parties' goodwill to meet each other halfway. Responsibility for the talks lies on the Armenian and Azeri leaders alone-certainly not on the Minsk group of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Progress of the talks also depends on the national leaders alone, stressed Mr. Mann.
Henri Jacolin, co-chair for France, said he would not like to sum up the Minsk group heads' negotiations with Armenian and Azeri spokesmen proceeding from whatever value scale. It will take a long time to settle such an entangled issue as the Karabakh, he emphatically added.
The co-chairs will stay in consultation with the conflicting parties within a few next weeks, they said.
