Armenian, Azerbaijani presidents intend to resume dialogue to seek compromise on Karabakh - mediators' statement
YEREVAN. June 19 (Interfax) - The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict have called on Yerevan and Baku to resume substantial negotiations in resolving the issue.
"This is the only way to bring a lasting peace to the people of the region, who expect and deserve progress in the settlement of the conflict," mediators said in a statement posted on the OSCE website on Monday.
"The [Armenian and Azerbaijani] presidents expressed their intention to resume political dialogue in an attempt to find a compromise solution for the most controversial issues of the settlement," the statement said.
The OSCE Minsk Group's co-chairs Igor Popov (Russia), Stefan Visconti (France), and Richard Hogland (the United States) are paying a visit to Azerbaijan on June 19.
"In their talks in Baku, the co-chairs expressed deep concern over the recent violations of the ceasefire, resulting in casualties on the line of contact, on the eve of their visit to Azerbaijan. They appealed to the leadership of Azerbaijan to avoid further escalation," the statement said.
"The co-chairs are sending the same message to the leadership of Armenia and de facto authorities of Nagorno-Karabakh. They encouraged the sides to consider measures that would reduce tensions on the line of contact and the international border between Armenia and Azerbaijan," it said.
The co-chairs will travel to Vienna to brief the members of the Minsk Group on the outcomes of the visit to the region on 3 July. They also plan to meet with the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers to discuss modalities of the forthcoming work.
The OSCE Minsk Group mediators paid a visit to Yerevan on June 10 and to the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic on June 12.
