BAKU. - “The recent statements made by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs and leaders of co-chair countries are reassuring,” Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said at a joint press briefing with EU President Herman van Rompuy in Brussels.

He thanked the EU for its support of the OSCE Minsk Group on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

“The statements made by the leaders of the Minsk Group that the status quo is not acceptable, it should be changed, and that the conflict should be resolved on the basis of the principles of the Helsinki Final Act, which combine the principle of territorial integrity as well as the right to self-determination are especially encouraging,” he said.

“These principles don’t contradict to each other. It needs a solution, according to which Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity will be maintained, and people will live in the region freely and peacefully. I think, Minsk Group’s proposals create a base for it. We expect from the Armenian side a constructive approach in the negotiations. We want the solution of the conflict has been found as soon as possible that will allow hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis to return home after our lands will be liberated from occupation”, said Aliyev, APA agency reports.

As Armenian News-NEWS.am reported earlier, President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan told a briefing in Strasbourg on June 22. “It is time for the parties to the Karabakh conflict to voice their positions on the basic principles of the conflict settlement.”

“I am going to Kazan in high spirit and in anticipation of a constructive dialogue. Later it will be clear how the talks will end,” he said noting that talks on Nagorno-Karabakh started long ago and the sides have already managed to discuss many issues.

Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliyev will arrive in Kazan on June 24 to attend a traditional Russian President’s Cup horse race at the invitation of Dmitry Medvedev.