The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group has called on the sides to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to take additional steps to reduce tensions, as agreed in Geneva, according to the statement of the OSCE MG, posted on its website.
The statement says that the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, Stephane Visconti of France, and Andrew Schofer of the USA, together with the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk, met with President Ilham Aliyev in Baku on February 7 and President Serzh Sargsyan in Yerevan on February 9.
"In both capitals, they also held consultations with the respective Foreign Ministers. The Co-Chairs also travelled to Nagorno-Karabakh on February 9-11 and visited specific locations in the Zangelan, Kubatly, Agdam, Lachin, and Kelbajar districts," the statement reads.
The Co-Chairs underscored the importance of fulfilling, in good faith, all commitments undertaken during the October 2017 Summit in Geneva and at previous summits, in particular, Vienna and St. Petersburg.
According to the statement, the Co-Chairs also expressed deep concern over the recent loss of life on the Line of Contact. They called upon the sides to take additional steps to reduce tensions, as agreed in Geneva, and to respect the ceasefire, as well as to refrain from inflammatory statements and provocative actions.
"The Co-Chairs again reiterate their commitment to helping the sides find a peaceful solution to the conflict based on the core principles of the Helsinki Act, including the non-use of force, territorial integrity, and the equal rights and self-determination of peoples. The Co-Chairs welcomed the parties' expressed intention to continue intensive negotiations, taking into account the current electoral period," the statement adds.
