The Council of Europe (CoE) is ready to help in confidence building between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus, Ioannis Kasoulides, told APA news agency of Azerbaijan.

“Our main principle during [Cyprus’s] chairmanship [of the Committee of Ministers of the CoE] is to remain neutral,” said Kasoulides. “As far as I know, the OSCE [i.e. the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe] Minsk Group is working to find a solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

“What’s important is that Armenia and Azerbaijan, for a peaceful solution to this problem, remain committed to their obligations to the Council of Europe. As the Council of Europe, we fully support the Minsk Group mediators’ efforts to restore negotiations.

“I think a meeting between the Azerbaijani and Armenian president by the summer would be a step forward to achieve a peaceful solution the conflict. The Council of Europe can make its own contribution by creating conditions for full confidence between the parties until the conflict is over.

“The Council of Europe is ready to help both countries about this problem.”