MOSCOW, December 4 (Sputnik) — The heads of Delegation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries reiterated their calls for a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in a joint statement Thursday.
"We, the Heads of Delegation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries – Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergei Lavrov, Secretary of State of the United States John Kerry, State Secretary for European Affairs of France Harlem Desir – remain strongly committed to a peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," the statement published on the website of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) said.
Joint Statement by Heads of Delegation of OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair Countries http://t.co/tgoD7IezRj #Armenia #Azerbiajan #OSCEMC14
— OSCE (@OSCE) 4 декабря 2014
"There is no military solution, and we call on the sides to refrain from violence and work actively towards a lasting settlement," the statement added.
The officials pointed out that the scale of the violence that erupted along the Line of Contact in the past year has led to a "significant loss of life".
According to the heads of the Delegation, the military activity that occurred this July and August stirred tensions and amplified the lack of trust between the sides. The downing of a military helicopter on November 12 along the Line of Contract in turn precipitated measures that the sides should undertake to ease tensions and build trust.
The heads of the Delegation also welcomed an October agreement reached by the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Paris to boost dialogue in 2015.
"We remain ready to work closely with the sides to reach a lasting settlement and open a new chapter of peace, but stress that the primary responsibility to end the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict rests with the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan," the statement concluded.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict began in February 1988 after the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region, predominantly populated by Armenians, announced its intention to secede from the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1991, the region proclaimed itself independent, and soon a separate republic emerged through a referendum — the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. The Azerbaijani authorities refused to recognize the decision, which resulted in a large-scale war that lasted until a Russian-brokered ceasefire was signed in May 1994.
Despite the ceasefire, clashes have occurred along the Line of Contact sporadically ever since.
Since 1992, the OSCE Minsk Group and its co-chairs Russia, France and the United States have been negotiating a lasting and peaceful settlement of the conflict.
