Statement by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group

Moscow, Paris, Washington, 26 February, 2017 –  The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Ambassadors Igor Popov of Russia, Stephane Visconti of France and Richard Hoagland of the United States of America, released the following statement today:

According to reports from  the Ministries of Defense of Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as other sources, in the early morning of February 25  there was a serious breach of cease fire on the Line of Contact, resulting in casualties. Several bodies remain in the no-man’s land. The Sides accuse each other of an incursion attempt.

The Co-chairs call upon the Parties to keep heavy military equipment, which had been moved earlier close to the LOC, in its present positions and to allow recovery of the dead, as it was agreed upon yesterday under mediation of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chaiman-in-Office.

The Co-chairs remind the Parties of their commitments to refrain from the use of force.