Joint Statement by the Heads of Delegation of the OSCE MG Co-Chair Countries, Armenia, and Azerbaijan
Milan/06.12.18/Turan: On the occasion of the OSCE Ministerial Council Meeting in Milan, the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries (the Russian Federation, the United States of America, and France) and the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov and Acting Foreign Minister of Armenia Zohrab Mnatsakanyan agreed to continue working towards a just and lasting peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
The Co-Chair countries welcomed the significant decrease in ceasefire violations and reported casualties following the conversation of the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan on the margins of the Commonwealth of Independent States" summit in Dushanbe in September. They appealed to the sides to continue implementing the understandings reached there and to take concrete measures to prepare their populations for peace. The Co-Chair countries expressed hope that an intensive results-oriented high-level dialogue between the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia to promote a just and lasting settlement of the conflict can resume in the near future.
The Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan and the Acting Foreign Minister of Armenia reaffirmed their commitment to work intensively to promote a peaceful resolution of the conflict and to further reduce tensions. They agreed to meet again in early 2019 under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs for this purpose and in order to facilitate high-level talks. They recognized the strong engagement and good-faith mediation efforts rendered by the Co-Chair countries, as well as the activities of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office. -0-
Politics
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Negotiations at the 29th session of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Baku have been extended until November 24, a source in the UNFCCC Secretariat told the Turan news agency. According to the source, participants aim to finalize and sign the concluding documents by that date.
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According to the Turkish newspaper Sabah, officials from the Istanbul Prosecutor's Office's Anti-Smuggling Unit have detained an Azerbaijani citizen with a large shipment of gold. The detention took place near the Vadi İstanbul shopping center in the Sarıyer district, where a taxi was stopped. During the search, 70 kg of gold was found. The Azerbaijani citizen in the vehicle claimed ownership of the cargo and also stated that he was a diplomat. The investigation by the prosecutor's office is ongoing, reports Sabah newspaper. The media outlet does not disclose the name of the "diplomat," only his initials – M.G.Ş. The Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs has declined to comment on the situation.
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On November 22, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan discussed negotiations with Azerbaijan regarding a peace treaty in an interview with Public TV. In particular, he emphasized that society should move away from certain stereotypes. “We are outraged when we hear the term ‘Western Azerbaijan.’ But we don’t think that when we say ‘Western Armenia,’ it also irritates anyone,” he stated.
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German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock held a meeting with representatives of Azerbaijani civil society in the evening of 22 November at the office of Turan news agency.
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