Armenian, Azerbaijani FMs and OSCE MG Co-Chairs Issue Joint Statement

GENEVA — Armenian and Azerbaijani FMs – Zohrab Mnatsakanyan and Elmar Mammadyarov, have concluded their meetings in Geneva, which was held with the mediation and participation of OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs.

The meeting lasted nearly five hours, after which the following joint statement was issued:

“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) met separately and jointly with Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov in Geneva on 28-30 January. They were joined in their meetings by the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Andrzej Kasprzyk.

Over three days of intensive discussions, the Co-Chairs and the Ministers discussed the following agenda items: implementation of agreements and proposals discussed in 2019 and possible next steps to prepare the populations for peace; principles and elements forming the basis of a future settlement; and timing and agenda for advancing the settlement process.

The Co-Chairs reiterated their full commitment to helping the sides find a peaceful solution to the conflict and the principle of confidentiality in the settlement process, as well as the need for creativity and a spirit of compromise to achieve a fair and lasting peace.

The Ministers agreed to meet again in the near future under Co-Chair auspices”.