Azerbaijani foreign minister Elmar Mammadyarov (right) with his Armenian counterpart Zphrab Mnatsakanyan (second from right) with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs in New York on Sept. 26

The foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Zohrab Mnatsakanyan and Elmar Mammadyarov held what they called a ‘useful’ round of negotiations in New York to discuss the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution process.

In a statement, the Armenian Foreign Ministery called the talks a “useful exchange of thought,” adding the two leaders “agreed to continue the dialogue including within the framework of the co-chairs’ upcoming visit to the region.”

“It was an interesting and important exchange of views on continuing developments in the conflict’s resolution as well as about what needs to be done for establishing a lasting peace in the region,” the Turan news agency quoted Mammadyarov as saying after the talks.

The meeting, which reportedly lasted three hours, was the second for the two foreign ministers, who had met in July in Brussels on the sidelines of the NATO Summit. The first part of the meeting was held in the presence of the co-chairs of the OSCE Minks Group. The two then held one-on-one talks.

Mnatsakanyan, who was in New York to take part in the United Nations General Assembly, held a separate meeting on Tuesday with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, Igor Popov of Russia, Stephane Visconti of France and Andrew Schofer of the United States.

“The Co-Chairs and the Ministers discussed the situation in the region and sought clarification with respect to several recent statements and incidents of concern. The Co-Chairs expressed deep regret over the continuing and unnecessary loss of life. They cautioned the Ministers about the dangers of escalation, called on the parties to engage constructively in a positive atmosphere, and to avoid inflammatory rhetoric. The Co-Chairs underscored that a comprehensive settlement will require compromises on all sides,” said an announcement issued by the Co-Chairs.

“In this context, the Ministers confirmed the importance of taking measures to intensify the negotiation process and to take additional steps to reduce tensions. The Ministers agreed to meet again before the end of the year,” added the statement.