OSCE Minsk Group issues statement on contact line incident (updated)

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Minsk Group Co-chairs and the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk issued a statement regarding the incident registered at the line of contact between the Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijani armed forces Thursday, Oct 17.

“Following the usual exchange of security guarantees by local commanders on both sides of the line of contact, members of both OSCE teams heard shooting as they approached their observation points. Safety and security concerns prompted the Personal Representative to abandon the exercise,” the statement says, adding, however, that “it was not possible to determine from where the shots were fired.”

“The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group are aware that all those involved in facilitating OSCE monitoring exercises show a high degree of professionalism. They believe that this exceptional and regrettable incident undermines the work of these individuals, and of the Personal Representative and his team, as well as the ceasefire agreement of May 1994. The Co-chairs urge the relevant authorities to investigate it thoroughly and impartially,” the statement says.

As the NKR Foreign Ministry’s press service said, the monitoring of the contact line between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijani armed forces was suspended Thursday, due to shots fired from the Azeri side. The violation was registered by the monitoring group on both sides.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan Press Agency, citing a diplomat source, reported that the Co-chairs will visit the region during the first week of November. The mediators will arrive in Baku and then leave for Yerevan to continue efforts armed at resolution of Karabakh conflict and organization of a presidential meeting in late November.