YEREVAN, JULY 9, NOYAN TAPAN. Issues related to the preparation for the coming meeting of the Armenian and Azeri Presidents were discussed at the July 8 meeting of OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs Yuri Merzliakov, Bernard Fassier, Matthew Bryza, and Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk with RA Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian. Touching upon the format of negotiations held within the framework of the Minsk Group, E. Nalbandian mentioned the necessity of Artsakh side's complete participation in the negotiations process as a guarantee of peaceful process' efficiency. The Co-chairs regretted to say that they were not able to visit Stepanakert this time due to the unfavorable weather. As Noyan Tapan was informed by the RA Foreign Ministry Press and Information Department, RA Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, after the meeting, at correspondents' request commenting upon Azeri Foreign Minister's statement on providing autonomy to Nagorno Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan, said that the Azeri Foreign Minister is not authorized to decide the issue of Artsakh status, the right of deciding that issue belongs to the Nagorno Karabakh people.

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