OSCE Chairperson-in-Office slams escalation in Karabakh conflict zoneSeptember 29, 2015 - 11:36 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Serbia’s Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic, met Monday, September 28, with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs, Ambassadors Igor Popov of Russia, James Warlick of the United States, and Pierre Andrieu of France, and the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, in New York. Ambassadors briefed Dacic on the latest surge in violence and the talks they have held with Armenian and Azerbaijani officials since. The CiO strongly condemned the recent escalation, offering his condolences to the families of the victims, calling on both sides to show maximum restraint and work towards de-escalation. CiO Dacic expressed his full support to the work of the OSCE Minsk Group and Ambassador Kasprzyk, and reiterated their call for advancing negotiations on a lasting settlement for the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, as well as for implementing confidence-building measures. Holding the next presidential summit, as has been discussed, would be a good step in that direction, Dacic said. The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan broke out as result of the ethnic cleansing launched by the Azeri authorities in the final years of the Soviet Union. The Karabakh War was fought from 1991 (when the Nagorno Karabakh Republic was proclaimed) to 1994 (when a ceasefire was sealed by Armenia, NKR and Azerbaijan). Most of Nagorno Karabakh and a security zone consisting of 7 regions are now under control of NKR defense army. Armenia and Azerbaijan are holding peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group up till now. Top stories Six total incidents have burned 19 old-growth trees. Friday night 8 trees were torched along the beautiful main entrance. The EU does not intend to conduct military exercises with Armenia, Lead Spokesperson for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano says. Hikmet Hajiyev has said that there is no place for USAID operation in Azerbaijan any longer. A telephone conversation between Putin and Pashinyan before the CSTO summit is not planned, Peskov says. Partner news | Concept to complete Yerevan Cascade discussed at city hall A conceptual proposal to complete the Cascade complex in downtown Yerevan has been presented by Jean-Michel Wilmotte. Pashinyan visits flood-hit region Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Saturday, June 8 visited the disaster area in the Lori province. €3.5 mln EU grant to support justice reforms in Armenia The European Union has paid €3.5 mln grant to Armenia within a €11mln program on Support to Justice Reforms. Yerevan reacts to Baku’s proposal to see Minsk Group abolition Alen Simonyan has declared that Armenia is taking steps aimed at concluding a peace treaty with Azerbaijan. |