Ambassador James Warlick, U.S. Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group
James Warlick, the U.S.Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group commissioned with finding a peaceful settlement to the Karabakh conflict tweeted today that the Co-Chairs expect to hold serious talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and others in Baku.
As they had stated in their earlier announcements the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Ambassadors James Warlick of the U.S., Igor Popov of Russia and Pierre Andrieu of France are currently in Baku where they will have meetings with President Aliyev, Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov.
According to Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Tigran Balayan, the Co-Chairs will arrive in Yerevan on February 17 where they will meet with President Serzh Sargsyan and Foreign Affairs minister Edward Nalbandyan.
The last time the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs were in the region was in October 2014.
They met with Armenia’s Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan on February 5 in Munich, following which they issued a statement calling for the resumption of peace talks between the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan.
“We noted with alarm the rising number of incidents along the Line of Contact and Armenia-Azerbaijan border, including in civilian areas. We also discussed with the Minister proposed measures to reduce the likelihood of such incidents. In particular, it is imperative for the sides to take steps to prevent a repeat of the November 12 helicopter downing.
The violence and tensions between the sides underscore the necessity of starting comprehensive negotiations as soon as possible to reach a lasting settlement. We urged the Minister to show more flexibility so such negotiations can begin.
We raised the importance of implementing the Presidents’ agreement now to exchange data on missing persons under the aegis of the ICRC. This data exchange can build trust between the sides and facilitate the reconciliation process.”
Earlier, on January 27, the Co-Chairs had also met with Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Mammadyarov and said: “The rise in violence that began last year must stop for confidence to be restored and progress to be made in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process. We called on Azerbaijan to observe its commitments to a peaceful resolution of the conflict. We also call on Armenia to take all measures to reduce tensions. All sides must abide by the terms of the ceasefire agreement. Violence undermines efforts to bring about peace.”
Since the beginning of 2015, there have been a number of bloody clashes along the Armenia-Azerbaijan state border and the Karabakh-Azerbaijan Line of Contact resulting in a number of casualties for both sides.
We expect serious talks with @presidentaz Aliyev and others about steps towards a peaceful settlement in Nagorno-#Karabakh. All can benefit.
— James Warlick (@AmbJamesWarlick) February 16, 2015
