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) visited Vienna and Bratislava from 27-28 June to brief the Permanent Representatives of the OSCE Minsk Group countries, OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger, and OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak on the results of the Co-Chairs’ recent visit to the region and their recent consultations with the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers in Moscow and Washington, DC. They also met with Head of the OSCE High-Level Planning Group Colonel Vladimir Minarik. Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk also took part in these meetings.
The Co-Chairs welcomed the simultaneous release of prisoners on 28 June and expressed appreciation for the efforts of the International Committee of the Red Cross in facilitating this positive first step with regard to detainees.
The Co-Chairs call on the sides to take additional concrete humanitarian measures to further consolidate an atmosphere conducive to peace and favorable to substantive talks as soon as possible.