OSCE Minsk Group to conduct Field Assessment Mission in Nagorno-Karabakh

The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, ambassadors Bernard Fassier of France, Robert Bradtke of the United States, and Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, released a joint statement today, declaring that the Minsk Group had held separate meetings with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, Edward Nalbandian, and his Azerbaijani counterpart, Elmar Mammadyarov, on September 23 in the framework of the UN General Assembly session. The personal representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, attended both discussions, Public Radio of Armenia reports.

The co-chairs informed both ministers about the preparations for their upcoming field assessment mission. The co-chairs will conduct the mission in the period October 4th-14th 2010 in the territories around Nagorno-Karabakh.

Following their preliminary discussions with UN officials in Geneva and New York, the co-chairs invited UNDP and UNHCR experts to participate in the mission.

In addition, the co-chairs confirmed to the ministers their working plan for the following months, including preparations for the OSCE Summit in Astana.