YEREVAN (A.W.)— The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group Co-Chairs recently met with Armenian and Artsakh leaders, as part of their ongoing efforts to restart Armenian-Azerbaijani peace talks.
A scene from the meeting with Armenian President Serge Sarkisian (Photo: Press Office of the President of Armenia)
On June 10, the three Co-Chairs from the U.S., Russia, and France met with Armenian President Serge Sarkisian and Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian in Yerevan in separate meetings. Two days later, they made their way to Stepanakert to meet with Artsakh President Bako Sahakyan for similar talks.
Azerbaijani news has reported that the Co-Chairs are expected to arrive in Baku on June 19.
The mediators gave very little detail about the meetings when they met with reporters.
“France, the United States and Russia are making every effort to achieve progress on this issue,” Stephane Visconti, the Minsk Group’s French Co-Chair told reporters according to RFE/RL’s Armenian service.
A scene from the meeting with Minister Nalbandian (Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia)
The Co-Chairs will be issuing a statement following their visit to the region.
A scene from the meeting with Artsakh President Sahakyan (Photo: Office of the President of Artsakh)
Neither the mediators nor official Armenian sources specified whether they pressed for the conduct of high-level Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations. In his meeting with Visconti, U.S. Co-Chair Richard Hoaglan, and Russia’s Igor Popov, Nalbandian accused Baku of continuing to ignore their calls for the conflicting parties to comply with confidence building agreements that were reached by Sarkisian and Azerbaijani President Illham Aliyev last year. He urged the mediators to take imperative action in addressing Azerbaijan’s provocative behavior. Artsakh President Sahakyan also accused Baku of violating ceasefire violations along the Line of Contact (LoC).
Source: Armenian Weekly
Link: OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs Visit Armenia, Artsakh