Azerbaijan

In March 1998 after Robert Kocharian came to power during the next visit of the co-chairs to the region Armenia has taken back its agreement on the settlement of the conflict on "step by step" proposals. Thus, a real chance for the resolution of the conflict was lost.

On 9 November 1998, the co-chairs put forward the proposals based on the concept of a "common state". According to this concept, the Nagorno-Karabakh should get the status of state in the form of republic and territorial unit, and comprise together with Azerbaijan the common state within internationally recognized borders of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan rejected this proposal as it was contrary to its sovereignty and the Lisbon principles. Since then no new proposals were put forward and the Minsk process reached a deadlock. Later, ex-Foreign Minister in the team of Robert Kocharian Vardan Oskanian admitted in his memoirs that at that time a "common state" model put forward by Russia for settlement of the Trans-Dnestrian region conflict was proposed for winning time by Armenian while the international law, the international community supported the settlement of the conflict within the framework of territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.