YEREVAN, 13 July 2012 – The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Ambassadors
Robert Bradtke of the United States, Igor Popov of the Russian Federation,
and Jacques Faure of France) and Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk (Personal
Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office) traveled July 10-13 to
Baku, Nagorno-Karabakh, and Yerevan.
In Baku, the Co-Chairs met with President Aliyev and Foreign Minister
Mammadyarov; in Nagorno-Karabakh they met with de facto authorities; in
Yerevan, they met with President Sargsian, Foreign Minister Nalbandian, and
Defense Minister Ohanyan. On July 11, the Co-Chairs again crossed the Line
of Contact by foot. On July 12, they traveled from Nagorno-Karabakh to
Yerevan via Kelbajar, their first visit to that region since the October 2010
Field Assessment Mission. In all their meetings, the Co-Chairs reaffirmed
their countries’ resolute commitment to a peaceful settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, as the Presidents of the three Co-Chair countries
emphasized in their June 18 joint statement at Los Cabos.
The Co-Chairs continued discussions from their June 18 meeting in Paris with
the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Co-Chairs expressed
their deep concern over recent incidents along the frontlines, and reiterated
that the sides’ political will to achieve peace is best demonstrated by
refraining from maximalist positions, respecting the 1994 ceasefire
agreement, and abstaining from hostile public rhetoric.
Regarding reports of the planned opening of an airport in Nagorno-Karabakh,
the Co-Chairs received renewed assurances from the sides that they will
reject any threat or use of force against civil aircraft, pursue the matter
through diplomatic steps, and refrain from politicizing the issue. The
Co-Chairs reaffirmed that operation of this airport cannot be used to support
any claim of a change in the status of Nagorno-Karabakh, and urged the sides
to act in accordance with international law and consistent with current
practice for flights over their territory.
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The Co-Chairs plan to meet again separately with the Foreign Ministers of
Armenia and Azerbaijan in order to prepare for a joint meeting of the
Ministers in September.