December 11, the Co-chairs will of the OSCE Minsk Group on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement, Yuri Merzlyakov of Russia, Bernard Fassier of France and Matthew Bryza of the United States as well as personal representative of the OSCE CiO, Amb. Andrzej Kasprzyk met in Helsinki with new OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Finnish Foreign Minister Ilkka Kanerva.

Ambassador Merzlyakov told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter that the mediators briefed the new OSCE Chairman-in-Office on the activities the MG carried during 2007. "In mid-January the Co-chairs will obviously arrive in the region to discuss the proposals submitted to the sides in Madrid. We expect positive outcomes," he said.

The Russian diplomat reminded that the talks are held in terms of basic principles, some of which refer to determination of Karabakh's future status. He emphasized that the contents of the package submitted to the sides have been known for a year already and majority of the have been approved by the parties to Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

The package of proposals was conveyed to the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers during the OSCE summit held in Madrid early in December.