France’s Permanent Representative to the OSCE, Veronique Roger-Lucan. (Source: Public Radio of Armenia)
VIENNA (Public Radio of Armenia) — In her address to the OSCE Permanent Council, France’s Representative Ambassador Veronique Roger-Lucan said, “the Minsk Group is the only mediation format that has been accepted by the sides and has the full confidence of all OSCE participating States.” She made the statement on behalf of the three countries co-chairing the Minsk Group, the Russian Federation, United States and France.
“The Minsk Group Co-chairs contribute to stabilizing the security situation by keeping regular contacts with the sides and through close cooperation with the personal representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office who monitors on a daily basis the situation on the ground, – in the context of regular and often deadly ceasefire violations – along the line of contact as well as along the international border between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” she said.
Roger-Lucan stressed how the Minks Group Co-Chairs aim at promoting, through theMadrid Principles, a balanced approach to the settlement to the conflict, based on particular on the conciliation of the principles of self-determination, territorial integrity, and the non-use of force. She blamed the lack of political will of the parties to reach a peaceful settlement rather than the Co-Chairs.
“The Co-chairs are also working on the endorsement by the parties of confidence building measures, such as the creation of a prevention and investigation mechanism of the ceasefire violations along the line of contact, and dialogue between the communities of Nagorno-Karabakh. Their action also focuses on the humanitarian measure of exchanging data on the missing persons from the conflict, agreed at the Paris summit of 27 October 2014 and implemented by the ICRC,” the French Representative said.
She concluded by stating that the Co-chairs will continue to brief international and regional organizations who are interested in supporting the Minks Group process. They will continue their engagement to work closely with the sides in order to reach a peaceful and sustainable settlement of the conflict.
Source: Asbarez
Link: French Ambassador Says Minsk Group is the Only Mediation Format for Karabakh