Reduction of tension paves way for Karabakh negotiations: OSCE envoy

PanARMENIAN.Net - The reduction of military operations allows for holding negotiations on the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, the U.S. Co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group said.

“The Co-chairs continue working actively with the conflicting sides to encourage them to respect the ceasefire,” James Warlick said.

“The parties must work together to implement the agreements reached at summits in Vienna and Saint Petersburg, beginning from the expansion of the OSCE mission.”

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and Azeri leader Ilham Aliyev met on June 20 in Saint Petersburg to address the conflict, with Russian President Vladimir Putin mediating the talks. The Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents confirmed their commitment to the implementation of agreements reached at a Vienna-hosted meeting on May 16. To that end, they agreed to increase the number of international observers in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict zone. Also, they expressed satisfaction that the ceasefire was now holding. Prior to that, a meeting between both leaders was organized on May 16 in Vienna, with top diplomats from the MG co-chairing countries hosting the summit.

According to him, the mediators at separate meeting with Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers have discussed further steps that could push the negotiation process forward, drawing talks closer to a comprehensive settlement.

Warlick added that the Co-chairs will visit the region, but that “no exact date has been agreed upon yet.”