UK Delegation to OSCE calls on Yerevan and Baku to start negotiations

The United Kingdom calls on Armenia and Azerbaijan to fulfill their commitments under a ceasefire agreement in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone and resume negotiations, UK Deputy Head of Delegation to OSCE Nicola Murray said.

"The United Kingdom welcomed the announcement of a humanitarian ceasefire and we are dismayed to see that it is not being respected. We condemn the reported continued shelling of civilian areas and we are alarmed by further reports of civilian casualties. We offer our condolences to the families of those who have lost loved ones," the Deputy Head of British Delegation to OSCE noted.

As the humanitarian situation continues to worsen, it is therefore imperative that the parties to the conflict stop the violence immediately, abide by the 10 October agreement and return to substantive negotiations under the auspices of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs, she stressed.

"The United Kingdom urges all external parties and friends of both States to redouble their efforts in support of an end to hostilities and to refrain from taking actions that risk further exacerbating the crisis," Murray noted.

She stressed that a comprehensive resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict can only be delivered through a negotiated settlement and not through military action. "All parties must urgently return to the negotiating table to work toward this aim without precondition," Murray stressed.

"The UK reiterates our support for the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs in their role in mediating negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and we fully support the recent joint statements by the Minsk Group Co-Chairs and their countries’ representatives. We are also grateful to Ambassador Kasprzyk and his team for their ongoing work," the UK Deputy Head of Delegation to OSCE concluded.