Obviously, we are at a critical stage of the negotiation process, U.S. OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair Robert Bradtke told a briefing at the U.S. embassy in Moscow.

Referring to the Kazan meeting of Armenian, Azerbaijani and Russian leaders, Bradtke said this is the most important stage in the negotiation process since 2001, when efforts to reach a peace agreement were taken in Key West.

Bradtke called on the parties to agree on basic principles for the settlement during the Kazan meeting.

The basic principles are not a peace agreement. This is a 5.5-page framework document including 14 items, which instructs the parties how to lead talks to reach an agreement, he added. It is a guidance for ministers - how to draw the important issues to reach a final peace agreement.

He also stressed that Co-Chairs have been working on the document for years trying to bring closer the positions of the parties finding wordings acceptable to them, RFE/RL Armenian service reports.

“Our common interest is to avoid war,” said Bradtke adding there is no alternative to peaceful resolution.

“Now we are here and the question is whether the sides have political will to accept the principles and proceed to the next stage,” he added.