OSCE to Discuss Investigation Mechanism to Detect Ceasefire Violations
STEPANAKERT, NKR—The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group Co-Chairs Igor Popov (Russia), James Warlick (United States), and Pierre Andrieu (France), will visit the Nagorno Karabagh Republic (NKR/Artsakh) on Oct. 26-27, according to Davit Babayan, spokesperson for Karabagh President Bako Sahakyan.
“Certainly much attention will be paid on border issues and on violation, and it will be discussed as to what steps should be taken to reduce those violations. The general negotiation process and regional changes will also be discussed,” Babayan told ArtsakhPress. Babayan also said that the issue of an independent mechanism of investigating cross-border incidents will also be discussed.
The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs held a meeting with Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian on Sept. 24, and a separate meeting with the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov on Sept. 25. According to a statement released by the Minsk Group, the delegation also met jointly with Nalbandian and Mammadyarov to “discuss the immediate need to reduce tensions along the Line of Contact and international border, to advance negotiations on a lasting settlement, and to implement confidence-building measures.”
During the meeting, the Co-Chairs called on both the Presidents of Armenia and of Azerbaijan to accept an OSCE mechanism to investigate ceasefire violations. “Without such a mechanism, the sides will continue to blame each other for initiating deadly attacks on the Line of Contact and Armenia-Azerbaijan border. Armenia has agreed to discuss the details of the mechanism, and we urged Azerbaijan to do the same,” read a part of the statement released on Sept. 26.
According to reports, the Co-Chairs will be in Yerevan prior to visiting NKR and will visit Baku on Oct. 28.
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