Stéphane Visconti named new French Co-chair of OSCE Minsk GroupOctober 21, 2016 - 11:24 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - French President Francois Hollande on Thursday, October 20 appointed new Co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group. Stéphane Visconti was named the country's new mediator to replace Pierre Andrieu who took the post in 2014. At a meeting in Helsinki in 1992, the then-CSCE (Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe)Council requested the Chairman-in-Office to convene as soon as possible a conference on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict involving Armenia and Azerbaijan. This event was to take place in Minsk and provide a forum for negotiations towards a peaceful settlement. In 1994, the OSCE Budapest Summit established the so-called Minsk Group, which continues to work for the creation of conditions in which such a conference can take place. The other Co-chairs are Ambassadors Igor Popov of Russia and James Warlick of the United States . The Group’s permanent members are Belarus, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Finland, and Turkey, as well as Armenia and Azerbaijan. Top stories The EU does not intend to conduct military exercises with Armenia, Lead Spokesperson for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano says. A telephone conversation between Putin and Pashinyan before the CSTO summit is not planned, Peskov says. London’s Armenian community has been left feeling “under attack” after the city’s Genocide monument was vandalised. The United States believes there should be an international mission to provide transparency. Partner news | Turkey extends military presence in Azerbaijan The Turkish parliament has adopted a bill submitted by Recep Tayyip Erdogan to extend the mandate of Turkish troops. Russia to begin assessing migrant workers' speaking skills Rosobrnadzor is planning to change the Russian language exam for migrant workers and include an assessment of speaking skills Armenian, Saudi Foreign Minister meet in Riyadh The two commended the positive dynamics of the development of political dialogue between Armenia and Saudi Arabia Pashinyan: Azerbaijan’s proximity shouldn’t worry border residents At the same time, he said that he “does not guarantee [the security of villagers] one hundred percent”. |