The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Ambassadors
Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, Jacques Faure of France, and James
Warlick of the United States of America) and the Personal Representative of
the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, traveled to Baku
and Yerevan February 4-5.
In Baku, the co-chairs met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and in
Yerevan they met with Armenian President Serzh Sargsian. In both capitals,
they had consultations with the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defense.
With the Presidents, the Co-Chairs discussed the outcome of the Foreign
Ministers’ recent meeting in Paris, and stressed the need for further
progress on the substance of negotiations on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
They emphasized the need to continue negotiations at the highest level, as
was agreed in Vienna.
In their talks, the Co-Chairs reiterated their deep concern over the recent
escalation on the Line of Contact and the border, and called on the sides to
exercise restraint in their actions and rhetoric. The sides stated their
intention to strengthen observance of the ceasefire and avoid further
escalation, particularly in light of the upcoming Olympic Games in Sochi.
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The Co-Chairs will continue consultations with the sides in the weeks ahead,
in preparation for high level meetings.