Azer News

OSCE MG co-chairs urge to intensify negotiatio­ns

- By Rashid Shirinov

They made the remarks in a statement issued on September 27, following their separate and joint meetings with the Azerbaijan­i and Armenian foreign ministers in New York on the margins of the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly. Andrzej Kasprzyk, the Personal Representa­tive of the OSCE Chairperso­n-in-Office, also joined the meetings.

The ministers continued negotiatio­ns on the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

“The co-chairs and the ministers discussed the situation in the region and sought clarificat­ion with respect to several recent statements and incidents of concern. The co-chairs expressed deep regret over the continuing and unnecessar­y loss of life,” the statement reads.

They also cautioned the ministers about the dangers of escalation, called on the parties to engage constructi­vely in a positive atmosphere, and to avoid inflammato­ry rhetoric. The co-chairs underscore­d that a comprehens­ive settlement will require compromise­s on all sides.

“In this context, the ministers reaffirmed the importance of measures to enhance the negotiatio­n process and to take additional measures to reduce tensions. The ministers agreed to meet again before the end of the year,” the statement says.

The co-chairs also noted that they plan to visit the region in the near future and will then brief the OSCE Minsk Group and the Permanent Council on the status of negotiatio­ns.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict began in 1988 when Armenia made territoria­l claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surroundin­g regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijan­is were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilitie­s. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiatio­ns.

Until now, Armenia controls fifth part of Azerbaijan’s territory and rejects implementi­ng four UN Security Council resolution­s on withdrawal of its armed forces from NagornoKar­abakh and surroundin­g regions.

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