YEREVAN. - The statement of the foreign minister of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing states was in favor of the Armenian side.

Former deputy of the Supreme Soviet, Azat Arshakyan, said at a press-conference Monday.

In his words, Armenia must recognize Nagorno-Karabakh as its integral part. “Armenia should ensure the security of Karabakh. We must sign an agreement and legalize our cooperation with Karabakh,” Arshakyan noted, adding that Armenia should conduct an initiative policy.

Delegation heads of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing states—Russian FM Sergey Lavrov, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and French FM Jean-Marc Ayrault —adopted a statement on December 8. They called on Baku and Yerevan to honor the agreements reflected in the Joint Statements of the 16 May Summit in Vienna and the 20 June Summit in St. Petersburg. “We urge the parties to remove all remaining obstacles to expanding the mission of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and to make progress on a proposal to establish an OSCE investigative mechanism.  The proposals should be implemented together with the immediate resumption of negotiations on a settlement,” the statement reads, in part.