OSCE Chairman-in-Office meets with the OSCE Minsk Group

OSLO, 3 March 1999 - The Chairman-in-Office of the OSCE, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway, Knut Vollebaek, met today in Oslo with the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group.

The American, French and Russian Co-Chairs shared with the Chairman-in-Office (1) their assessment of the present situation which has developed in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and (2) the results of the OSCE Minsk Group meeting (without conflicting parties) which took place in Moscow on February 16, 1999.

The Co-Chairs expressed their common opinion regarding the necessity for the parties to resume direct negotiations within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group. They suggested that the agenda for such talks could be formulated as was done in the appeal stated at the OSCE Ministerial meeting in Oslo (December 1998) " to promptly define a mutually acceptable basis for comprehensive settlement of the conflict."

The Co-Chairs stressed the importance of establishing a regular dialogue between the leaderships of Azerbaijan and Armenia so that it becomes a constantly operating political factor in the Southern Caucasus able to chart a course to resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh problem.

The Chairman-in-Office supported the efforts of the Co-Chairs, including those aimed at the resumption of direct negotiations within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group. He called upon all the parties involved in the conflict to demonstrate good faith and a constructive attitude so as to achieve a prompt settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The OSCE Chairman-in-Office and Co-Chairs appealed to the conflicting parties to demonstrate restraint in their official declarations and public statements so as not to complicate the negotiating process on the Karabakh settlement.

Emphasizing the importance of the existing cease-fire regime along the Line of Contact and the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, they took positive notice of the assurances of the parties of their intention to resolve the conflict by peaceful and political means.

The Chairman-in-Office informed the Co-Chairs that he plans to visit the Southern Caucasus region in April 1999. The Co-Chairs expressed their hope that the visit of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office will help forward the development of the OSCE Minsk Process and will strengthen efforts toward establishment of lasting peace and stability in the region.