Baku Today, Azerbaijan
April 16 2005

OSCE MG co-chairs issue new statement on ceasefire breaches

Baku Today 16/04/2005 09:52

The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs issued a statement on Friday over the
ceasefire breaches on the Armenia-Azerbaijan frontline.

The co-chairs Yuri Merzlyakov of Russia, Steven Mann of the United
States and Bernard Fassier of France are concerned over the
persistent ceasefire violations, casualties on both sides, calls for
war and the increasing hatred between the two countries’ residents,
the document reads.

“At a time the Minsk Group is close to the initial steps in achieving
an agreement between the conflicting sides, the co-chairs call on
Armenia and Azerbaijan to observe the ceasefire on the frontline,
according to the commitments they assumed, and refrain from any
public statements that may lead to exacerbating the tensions, as well
as to prepare the peoples of both countries for an agreement that may
be reached through negotiations and would require mutual
compromises,” the statment read according to Assa Irada.

The co-chairs also said that resumption of hostilities would hamper a
long-term settlement of the Karabakh conflict and lead to
considerable human casualties, destruction, an inflow of refugees,
and economic crisis.