Azernews.Az

The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Ireland`s Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore, in Yerevan on Tuesday called on all parties to the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorno Karabakh to refrain from the use or threat of force and to abstain from retaliatory measures, according to the OSCE website.

``I strongly condemn the recent violent incidents. This conflict will not be resolved by the use of force. The cycle of violence must stop,`` said the OSCE chairperson following a meeting with the Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian. ``This is the same message I will deliver in Azerbaijan on Thursday. The time has come to build trust; this requires will and commitment on the part of all those involved to seek peace.``

At least nine soldiers from both sides have been reported killed in violence along the Azerbaijani-Armenian border in a surge of hostility over the decades-old conflict, which has been simmering since a 1994 cease-fire was declared.

``We in Ireland know all too well the devastating cost of conflict. And we know how hard it is to resolve such situations,`` Gilmore said recalling the Northern Ireland peace process. ``From our experience it is essential to have a clear and determined policy not to yield to violence or the temptation to retaliate. Courage, perseverance and meaningful engagement are called for.``

The chairperson stressed his support for the mediation efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs: ``The OSCE can help to bridge differences between countries and between peoples. We can provide a forum for dialogue and support the sides to strengthen the ceasefire and find a negotiated solution.``

``However, in order to make progress towards resolving this long-standing conflict, the sides should further advance their work on the general principles of a resolution, remove snipers from the line of contact, agree on a mechanism for investigating incidents on the frontlines and find ways to implement the recent agreement by the presidents to develop people-to-people contacts,`` he said, emphasizing the need for confidence-building measures.

Following the visit to Armenia, OSCE chairperson Gilmore will be in Georgia on June 12-13 and in Azerbaijan on June 13-14.