Your trusted source

The US co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group James Warlick gave a press conference in Yerevan on Tuesday, speaking of the reasons the Minsk Group co-chairs have visited the region.

Ambassador Warlick informed first that in Baku the co-chairs have had a meeting with Azerbaijani president and foreign minister. Then the mediators visited Stepanakert to meet with Artsakh president. In Armenia the president, foreign minister and the newly appointed minister of defense will receive them.

At the press conference Ambassador Warlick listed the reasons of their regional visit. One of the main reasons of the visit, per Warlick, is the discussion with the parties to respect the ceasefire regime on the Line of Contact.

“After the April tragic incidents there is general respect toward the ceasefire,” the US co-chair noted with satisfaction, yet pointing out to certain occasional violations.

“I know about the incidents we would like to discuss with the sides and we are also aware of the tension along the Line of Contact as well as on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The next reason [for the visit] is to follow up with implementation of the decisions reached in the Vienna and St. Petersburg summits by the presidents. Those discussions are underway,” the diplomat said.

He then explained that as mediators they work toward establishing ‘lasting peace’ “There are ideas and proposals on the table out there. We hope that the dialogue will continue at the highest level,” Warlick said.

Asked why the implementation of the agreements, reached at the recent summits after several months have not been realized, the US co-chair said those ‘meetings gave an opportunity for directs talks between the presidents’.

“Among the things discussed was the expansion of the OSCE observer mission under the Personal Representative to OSCE Chairman-in-Office ambassador Andjey Kasprshik. We are here to work through on the details of the implementation of those agreements, and the presidents committed themselves to a peaceful negotiated settlement of the conflict. Of course there are certain disagreements that are part of negotiations,” James Warlick explained.

“The fact is that both presidents have committed themselves to peace and reach an agreement which will ensure lasting peace,” the US diplomat added.

One of the reporters referred to the recent statement by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev about the ‘territories for a status’ approach, asking the Ambassador to comment on the statement.

Warlick said all the elements of the settlement are under discussion. “We want a full and frank discussions not only in private between the presidents, the co-chairs but also with the people. President Aliyev opened a discussion over the issue of the status of the Nagorno Karabakh. This is something we should all welcome,” he said, adding positions [of the sides] may not aligned but it is important to for consideration of the people in Armenian and Azerbaijan as well as ‘for the population in Nagorno Karabakh itself”.

James Warlick also spoke of the Helsinki Final Act which, as he reiterated, has been adopted by the parties to the conflict as a basis for the settlement - specifically the three principles: the territorial integrity, self-determination right of peoples and non-use of force.