In response to a question on the recent meeting of the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan, a UN Spokesperson said that the Secretary-General has taken note of the summit held between the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan on December 19, 2015 in Bern, Switzerland, the UN website reports.

Ban Ki-moon commended the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs to organize this meeting and their ongoing work to deescalate the current tensions along the line of contact and the Armenia-Azerbaijani border.

He trusts that the summit offered the two sides the opportunity to discuss the practical steps to reduce the ceasefire violations and the civilian casualties and to agree on ways to move the peace process forward.

The Secretary-General also noted the expressed support of both Presidents to the Co-chairs’ efforts with regard to measures aimed at reducing the risk of violence.

The Secretary-General called on the sides to work closely with the Co-chairs to deescalate the current tensions and to refrain from any actions that may result in further violence.