U.S.: OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs visit Yerevan, Baku over weekend

PanARMENIAN.Net - The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs are scheduled to visit Armenia and Azerbaijan over the weekend, Acting Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Philip Reeker said on Tuesday, December 8 during a hearing at the Helsinki Commission, Asbarez reports.

Reeker said the U.S. is concerned about the role Turkey played during the Karabakh war and continues to have questions regarding the November 9 agreement that ended the military hostilities in Karabakh.

“We have expressed our concern about Turkey’s role, the foreign militants being brought in, weapons being provided. These are issues of concern and remain a part of our dialogue with Turkey and Russia,” said the Acting Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs.

“We welcome the secession of hostilities in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict zone, and deeply regret the really brutal and certainly unnecessary loss of life, including among civilians.”

“We continue to stress that there is no military solution to that long-standing conflict,” Reeker said, adding that the solution should be attained at the negotiating table.

The diplomat also said that the OSCE Minsk Group U.S. co-chair Andrew Schofer “will be going this weekend with the other co-chairs to both capitals – Baku and Yerevan – to see where we can get the co-chairs back into a role to try to move forward on a diplomatic solution.”

Reeker noted that the United States will continue to watch closely the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and considers the OSCE to be the right platform to raise the matter with the other countries.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Russian and Azerbaijani Presidents Vladimir Putin and Ilham Aliyev on November 9 signed a statement to end the war in Karabakh after almost 45 days. Under the deal, the Armenian side has returned all the seven regions surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh, having lost a part of Karabakh itself in hostilities.