OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs Call for the Release of All Prisoners of War

The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs Igor Popov (Russia), Stefan Visconti (France), and Andrew Schofer (USA) issued a statement on May 28 regarding the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the border situation created by Azerbaijan’s incursion into Armenian territory.

“The Co-Chairs held consultations in Geneva on May 27 and 28 with Peter Maurer, the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, and Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. The Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Andrzej Kasprzyk, also participated in the meetings. The Co-Chairs acknowledged the information regarding the capture of six Armenian soldiers on May 27 and called for the release of all prisoners of war and other detainees based on the principle of ‘all for all’.

The Co-Chairs emphasize the obligation to treat detainees in accordance with international humanitarian law. They strongly urge the parties to immediately lift all restrictions on humanitarian access to Nagorno-Karabakh and call on the parties to implement all commitments made under the November 9 ceasefire statement.

The Co-Chairs express concern over incidents recorded along the un-demarcated Armenian-Azerbaijani border. The use of force or the threat of force to resolve border disputes is unacceptable. They urge both sides to take urgent measures, including redeploying armed forces, to de-escalate tensions and initiate negotiations aimed at peaceful delineation and demarcation along the border.

The Co-Chairs are prepared to assist in facilitating this process,” the Co-Chairs' statement reads.

Highlighting the sustainable, peaceful, and prosperous future of the peoples of the region, they urged the parties to act as soon as possible under the auspices of the Co-Chairs.