OSCE Minsk Group visited Vienna and Bratislava

OSCE Minsk Group

Rome/Vienna/Bratislava [ENA] The Minsk Group, the activities of which have become known as the Minsk Process, leads the OSCE's efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. It is co-chaired by France, the Russian Federation, and the United States. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, Stéphane Visconti of France and Andrew Schofer of the United States of America) visited Vienna and

Bratislava from 27-28 June to brief the Permanent Representatives of the OSCE Minsk Group countries, OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger, and OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak on the results of the Co-Chairs’ recent visit to the region and their recent meetings with the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers in Moscow and Washington, DC. They also met with Head of the OSCE High-Level Planning Group Colonel Vladimir Minarik. Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk also took part in these discussions. The Co-Chairs welcomed the simultaneous release of prisoners on 28 June and expressed appreciation for the efforts of the International Committee of the Red Cross

in making possible this positive first step with regard to detainees. The Co-Chairs addressed the sides to take additional concrete humanitarian measures to further consolidate an atmosphere conducive to peace and favorable to substantive talks as soon as possible. Azerbaijani media have long distrusted the OSCE's Minsk group, co-chaired by Russia, France, and the United States. All three countries have large Armenian diasporas and as well Russia and Armenia are strategic allies, which they argue is grounds for them to consider it as favouring the Armenians in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Many Azerbaijanis accused in the past the Minsk Group of not being effective and fair.