U.S. Mission Reiterates the Need to Establish an OSCE Investigative Mechanism Across the Karabakh Line of Contact

VIENNA (Panorama.am) — “As a Co-Chair country, the United States reiterates its strong support for the OSCE co-chairmanship for work and appreciate their unwavering engagement with the sides to advance a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” reads the statement issued on behalf of the Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. of the U.S. Mission to the OSCE Harry Kamian.

In the statement addressed on Thursday to the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, the CiO’s Personal Representative, and the Head of the High-Level Planning Group, Karian says the United States welcomes the joint statement by the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan following the October 16 summit organized by the Co-Chairs of the Minsk Group in Geneva, which was “an important signal showing that the sides are ready to re-engage in negotiations in good faith.

The statement highlights the need to take urgently needed measures to reduce tensions along the Line of Contact, and encourage the sides to build on this positive momentum and refrain from mutual accusations and recriminations.

“We reiterate our calls for the sides to implement the measures agreed upon at the summits in Vienna and St. Petersburg in May and June 2016, respectively. The United States also encourages the sides to work on the proposal to establish an OSCE investigative mechanism,” read the message.

The statement next vows support to confidence-building measures and increased dialogue between Armenians and Azerbaijanis that can help stabilize the security situation and create a more constructive atmosphere for negotiations.

It is noted that the conflict has indeed gone on far too long, at the same time stressing that there can be no military solution to the conflict.