Co-Chairs issue statement
OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs Robert Bradtke (USA), Igor Popov (Russian Federation) and Jacques For (France) today issued a statement at the end of their regional visit.
As reported on the OSCE's official website, in the statement, it is particularly stated that the Minsk Group Co-Chairs and the Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Anjey Kasprzik on March 2-6 visited Yerevan, Nagorno-Karabakh and Baku. The Co-Chairs met Presidents Sargsyan and Aliyev, as well as the "de facto authorities of Nagorno-Karabakh".
The Co-Chairs presented the plan for implementing the provisions stated in the joint statement issued by Presidents Dmitri Medvedev, Ilham Aliyev and Serzh Sargsyan on January 23. Based on the willingness of the two presidents to quickly agree with the Basic Principles, the Co-Chairs presented the sides with steps that would support further activities for a peaceful, comprehensive resolution.
The Co-Chairs and the sides also discussed the opportunity of implementing the agreement mentioned in the declaration of Sochi regarding the development of mechanisms for leading investigations into the incidents at the line of contact.
The Co-Chairs informed that, through the intermediation of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, they have asked the High Planning Group of the OSCE to continue developing that mechanism as an important measure for reaching stability and strengthening confidence.
In addition, the Co-Chairs discussed the humanitarian, as well as people's contacts aimed at promoting the mutual understanding between the peoples of the region and that there is no need to politicize or speculate those contacts and hurt the peace process.
In the statement it is also mentioned that the Co-Chairs plan to leave for Vienna on March 22 to deliver a report to the OSCE Permanent Council on the final steps taken in the process of the peaceful resolution.
