OSCE to suspend monitoring of Azerbaijani-Armenian Border

COPENHAGEN, 24 April 1997 - The Chairman-in-Office (CiO) of the OSCE, Danish Foreign Minister Niels Helveg Petersen, has issued the following press statement concerning security incidents in the Nagorno-Karabakh region affecting the monitoring activities of the Personal Representative of the CiO and his team:

"Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office to the Minsk conference dealing with the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, has as one of his key tasks to monitor the Line of Contact between the Parties. After shooting incidents in April and November 1996 the Personal Representative decided that future monitoring would be carried out only after preceding notification to and consent from the respective Parties.

During monitoring activities on 5 March and 15 April 1997, the Personal Representative and his team were affected by new shooting incidents. The incident on 15 April exposed them to serious risk. The Parties had given their consent to both monitoring activities and the OSCE personnel and vehicles were easily identifiable.

The CiO considers these incidents to be a cause for serious concern, as the personal safety of OSCE personnel has been put at risk. By impeding the monitoring activities the incidents jeopardize one of the main functions of the Personal Representative and his staff.

In view of the above the C-i-O endorses the recommendation of the Personal Representative to suspend all future monitoring activities at the Line of Contact and the Azerbaijani-Armenian border until credible assurances are given by all concerned that: 1) the Parties themselves wish to see monitoring activities continue; and 2) forces at the front-line will be informed in advance of planned OSCE monitoring visits and given strict instructions to refrain from firing as long as OSCE personnel and vehicles are in the area.