Return of Surrounding Regions of Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan, Interim Status for Nagorno-Karabakh. Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group Issue a Statement

The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group have issued a statement regarding the upcoming meeting between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. The statement reads:

“In their statement of March 1, the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Igor Popov from Russia, Stefan Visconti from France, and Andrew Schofer from the USA) welcomed the willingness of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to meet soon under the auspices of the co-chairs. The co-chairs, who are closely cooperating with the two foreign ministers, have been preparing for this important meeting, which will be the first direct contact between the two leaders under the co-chairs' auspices.

The co-chairs emphasize the importance of maintaining an environment that allows for effective discussions and continue to positively assess the recent absence of fatalities along the contact line. They also welcome some initial steps being taken in the region to prepare the population for peace and encourage the sides to intensify such efforts. At the same time, the co-chairs reaffirm the urgent necessity of de-escalating tensions and reducing incendiary rhetoric. In this context, the co-chairs urge the parties to refrain from statements and actions that imply changes to the situation on the ground, prejudge the outcomes of future negotiations, or create preconditions for a unilateral change in format without the agreement of the other side, or indicate a willingness to resume military operations.

Referring to some contradictory public statements about the nature of the Minsk Group process, the co-chairs reaffirm that a just and lasting resolution to the issue should be based on the principles of the Helsinki Final Act, particularly regarding the non-use of force or the threat of force, territorial integrity, and equal rights and self-determination of peoples. It should also include additional elements as proposed by the presidents of the co-chairing countries between 2009-2012, including the return of the surrounding territories of Nagorno-Karabakh under the control of Azerbaijan, an interim status for Nagorno-Karabakh that provides security and self-governance guarantees, a corridor connecting Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, future clarification of the final legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh through a legally binding expression of will, the right for all internally displaced persons and refugees to return to their former places of residence, and international security guarantees, including a peacekeeping operation.

The co-chairs express their opinion that these principles and elements should serve as the foundation for a fair and lasting resolution of the conflict and should be considered as a whole. Any attempt to prioritize one principle or element will make it impossible to achieve a balanced situation.

The co-chairs are ready to meet at any time with the leaders and foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan and call on the leaders to resume negotiations in a positive spirit at the earliest opportunity. Continuous and direct dialogue between Baku and Yerevan under the auspices of the co-chairs remains an important element in building trust and reaching a peace process. The co-chairs will continue to discuss relevant issues with the affected parties directly impacted by the conflict, acknowledging that their views and concerns must be taken into account in any negotiated settlement.

The co-chairs emphasize that they remain fully committed to helping the parties find a peaceful resolution to the conflict in accordance with their mandate. They also express their full support for impartial and critical monitoring work carried out by the personal representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and his team.”