The OSCE Minsk Group cannot resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh problem instead of Armenia and Azerbaijan – either each by itself, or all the three together or at the ministerial or presidential level, RF Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told Azeri mass media.

“The sides must reach an agreement themselves,” he said. The Russian FM pointed out that the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs are doing their best to assist the process.

As to why no appreciable results have yet been produced, Minister Lavrov said it is not quite so. “May be no appreciable results have yet been produced because the work is confidential. As a person involved in this work I can say there are results unseen by the public,” Lavrov said. Quite a number of disputable issues have been settled since Russia, France and the U.S. became OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair. “The work at the so-called basic principles, which is going on now as well, has produced certain results in wordings that can facilitate an agreement between the sides. It does not at all mean that all the issues will be settled as soon as the work at the basic principles is over. In any case, a legal document – a peace agreement - has to be drafted after the work at the basic principles is over,” Lavrov said.