The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Ambassadors Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, James Warlick of the United States of America, and Pierre Andrieu of France) met with Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian 5 February in Munich. The Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, also participated in the meeting.
“We noted with alarm the rising number of incidents along the Line of Contact and Armenia-Azerbaijan border, including in civilian areas. We also discussed with the Minister proposed measures to reduce the likelihood of such incidents. In particular, it is imperative for the sides to take steps to prevent a repeat of the November 12 helicopter downing.
The violence and tensions between the sides underscore the necessity of starting comprehensive negotiations as soon as possible to reach a lasting settlement. We urged the Minister to show more flexibility so such negotiations can begin.
We raised the importance of implementing the Presidents' agreement now to exchange data on missing persons under the aegis of the ICRC. This data exchange can build trust between the sides and facilitate the reconciliation process. In addition, we called for the resumption of presidential dialogue at the earliest opportunity”, –reads the statement.
The Co-Chairs will travel to the region later this month. -0-
Politics
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On October 10, at the trial of economist Fazil Gasimov, who has been on a hunger strike for 121 days, the defendant stated that he was subjected to moral and physical abuse in the Medical Institution of the Penitentiary Service.
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On October 10, the Baku Appeals Court rejected appeals to extend the detention of individuals involved in the “Toplum TV” case, including journalists Mushfig Jabbar and Ali Zeynalov, as well as activists Akif Gurbanov, Ruslan Izzetli, Ramil Babayev, and Ilkin Amrahov. The appeal from “Toplum TV's” founder, Alesker Mamedli, was not reviewed.
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On October 10, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree allowing Georgian citizens to enter Russia for work or for a period of up to 90 days without a visa. The decree takes effect immediately. It’s important to note that there are no diplomatic relations between Georgia and Russia, as they were severed by Georgia in August 2008 following Russia's aggression and occupation of parts of Georgian territory -Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
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On October 10, the Baku Serious Crimes Court continued the proceedings in the case of public activist Rail Abbasov, who is accused of "fraud"
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