2 Nov 2018 20:09

Azerbaijani, Armenian leaders reaffirm readiness for top-level talks on Karabakh settlement - mediators

BAKU. Nov 2 (Interfax) - The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group said they are satisfied with easing tensions on the contact line in the Nagorno Karabakh crisis area, the mediators said in a statement following their visit to the region.

"In their meetings with the Co-Chairs, the leaders in both capitals confirmed that the level of violence has fallen significantly since they reaffirmed in Dushanbe their commitment to reduce tensions. In their consultations, the Co-Chairs received additional details about the implementation of the Dushanbe understanding, including with regard to the establishment of direct communication links," the OSCE said in a statement published on its website on Friday.

The co-chairs welcomed these developments, praised the sides for implementing constructive measures in good faith, and expressed support for the leaders' readiness to continue their dialogue, it said.

"The Co-Chairs stressed the importance of sustaining a climate of trust for intensive negotiations on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The Foreign Ministers agreed to meet again before the end of the year," according to the statement.

The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Igor Popov of Russia, Stephane Visconti of France, and Andrew Schofer of the United States) met with Nikol Pashinyan, the acting prime minister at the time, in Yerevan on October 29 and with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Baku on November 1. In both capitals, they held consultations with the respective foreign ministers and defense ministers.