OSCE Chairperson-in-Office (CiO) and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden Ann Linde has said that the resolution of the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh is among the priorities of the Swedish OSCE Chairpersonship.

Addressing the OSCE Permanent Council via video teleconferencing on Thursday, January 14, Linde said conflict resolution efforts in the region is a high priority, and noted the ongoing conflicts and crises in and around Nagorno-Karabakh, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and Belarus.

“Threats to international peace and security, as well as the suffering caused by conflicts, are simply unacceptable,” Linde said. “We therefore need to keep the resolution of the conflicts in our region at the top of our agenda.”

She said that the Chair will call for respect for international law in all conflicts and will back measures to mitigate the humanitarian consequences and advocate an inclusive approach. The Chair remains ready to engage directly with stakeholders and offers OSCE’s good offices to facilitate solutions, Linde added.

Sweden took over the Chair of the Organization from Albania on 1 January 2021.