OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs calls on the sides of Karabakh conflict to refrain from provocations
21.06.2019,
11:23
OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs have called on the sides of the Karabakh conflict to refrain from any provocative action, including the use of snipers and engineering works along the line of contact and the international border.
YEREVAN, June 21. /ARKA/. OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs have called on the sides of the Karabakh conflict to refrain from any provocative action, including the use of snipers and engineering works along the line of contact and the international border.
In their press statement, the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, Stéphane Visconti of France and Andrew Schofer of the United States of America, who hosted consultations between Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan on 20 June in Washington, called on the sides to reaffirm their commitment to observe the ceasefire strictly.
Noting with regret recent casualties, the co-chairs urged the sides to take immediate measures to restore an atmosphere conducive to peace and favorable to substantive talks.
During their conversation with the co-chairs, the foreign ministers agreed upon the importance of taking full advantage of the existing direct communication links in order to react swiftly to reduce the risk of escalation.
The foreign ministers agreed to meet again in the near future under the auspices of the co-chairs.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict erupted into armed clashes after the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s as the predominantly Armenian-populated enclave of Azerbaijan sought to secede from Azerbaijan and declared its independence backed by a successful referendum.
On May 12, 1994, the Bishkek cease-fire agreement put an end to the military operations.
A truce was brokered by Russia in 1994, although no permanent peace agreement has been signed. Since then, Nagorno-Karabakh and several adjacent regions have been under the control of Armenian forces of Karabakh. Nagorno-Karabakh is the longest-running post-Soviet era conflict and has continued to simmer despite the relative peace of the past two decades, with snipers causing tens of deaths a year.
On April 2, 2016, Azerbaijan launched military assaults along the entire perimeter of its contact line with Nagorno-Karabakh. Four days later a cease-fire was reached. -0---
In their press statement, the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, Stéphane Visconti of France and Andrew Schofer of the United States of America, who hosted consultations between Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan on 20 June in Washington, called on the sides to reaffirm their commitment to observe the ceasefire strictly.
Noting with regret recent casualties, the co-chairs urged the sides to take immediate measures to restore an atmosphere conducive to peace and favorable to substantive talks.
During their conversation with the co-chairs, the foreign ministers agreed upon the importance of taking full advantage of the existing direct communication links in order to react swiftly to reduce the risk of escalation.
The foreign ministers agreed to meet again in the near future under the auspices of the co-chairs.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict erupted into armed clashes after the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s as the predominantly Armenian-populated enclave of Azerbaijan sought to secede from Azerbaijan and declared its independence backed by a successful referendum.
On May 12, 1994, the Bishkek cease-fire agreement put an end to the military operations.
A truce was brokered by Russia in 1994, although no permanent peace agreement has been signed. Since then, Nagorno-Karabakh and several adjacent regions have been under the control of Armenian forces of Karabakh. Nagorno-Karabakh is the longest-running post-Soviet era conflict and has continued to simmer despite the relative peace of the past two decades, with snipers causing tens of deaths a year.
On April 2, 2016, Azerbaijan launched military assaults along the entire perimeter of its contact line with Nagorno-Karabakh. Four days later a cease-fire was reached. -0---
