Co-chair countries issue joint statement on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

The heads of the delegations of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs who attended the Ministerial Council in Vienna, Russian Foreign Ministr Sergey Lavrov, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, and France’s permanent representative to the OSCE Véronique Roger-Lacan have issued a joint statement, APA reported. 

The statement reads that the co-chair countries reaffirm their common position in the mediatory mission for peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict on the basis of the Helsinki Final Act, in which the principles of non-use of force, not threatening with use of force, territorial integrity, equal rights, and people’s right to self-determination are highlighted. 

"We welcome the resumption of high-level dialogue between the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Geneva on 16 October, as well as the meeting between their Foreign Ministers that took place 6 December in Vienna, under the auspices of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs. We express satisfaction with the intensified negotiations, and appeal to the sides to focus their efforts on finding compromise solutions to the substantive issues of political settlement. Further delays will only complicate the situation and could call into question the commitment of the Parties to reach a lasting agreement," the statement notes.

"Our countries remain ready to work closely with the Sides to reach a lasting and peaceful settlement. We have instructed our Co-Chairs to continue their mediating activities to promote compromises on the working proposals submitted to the Parties, but stress that the primary responsibility to end the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict rests with the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan," the statement concludes.