Azernews.Az

BAKU – The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group brokering settlement to the Upper (Nagorno) Karabakh conflict have issued a statement assessing their visit to the Armenia-occupied territories surrounding Azerbaijan’s Nagorno Karabakh region.

The Field Assessment Mission took place October 7-13. The mission was supported by OSCE Personal Representative of the Chairman-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk and his staff. On the mediators' invitation, three technical experts, including two from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), assisted them in their tasks, said the statement, released by Bernard Fassier of France, Robert Bradtke of the United States and Igor Popov of Russia.

The mission provided an important opportunity for the co-chairs to meet with numerous people on the ground and familiarize themselves with the current situation in the territories, in all aspects, including humanitarian needs. The unprecedented participation of UNHCR experts allowed the mission team to understand better the rights, within the framework of international humanitarian law, of all refugees and displaced persons in the region and the conditions now facing those living in these territories.

The co-chairs, with input from the experts, are now compiling the information gathered during their mission. In conclusion, they will prepare an internal OSCE report, which will be shared with all sides.

Prior to undertaking their mission, the co-chairs met separately on October 6 with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan to present details of the mission and introduce their team. They also had a similar meeting October 7 with the leaders of the self-proclaimed Nagorno Karabakh republic in Stepanakert (Khankandi).

Azerbaijan and Armenia have been locked in conflict for two decades. OSCE-brokered peace talks kicked off after a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a shaky cease-fire in 1994. Armenian armed forces continue to occupy over 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized territory. The ceasefire accord was signed in 1994, but peace talks have been largely fruitless so far and IDPs have still not returned to their homes.