The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Ambassadors Robert Bradtke of the United States, Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, and Jacques Faure of France) and Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk (Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office) traveled July 10-13 to Baku, Nagorno-Karabakh, and Yerevan.
In Baku, the Co-Chairs met with President Aliyev and Foreign Minister Mammadyarov; in Nagorno-Karabakh they met with de facto authorities; in Yerevan, they met with President Sargsian, Foreign Minister Nalbandian, and Defense Minister Ohanyan. On July 11, the Co-Chairs again crossed the Line of Contact by foot. On July 12, they traveled from Nagorno-Karabakh to Yerevan via Kelbajar, their first visit to that region since the October 2010 Field Assessment Mission. In all their meetings, the Co-Chairs reaffirmed their countries' resolute commitment to a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, as the Presidents of the three Co-Chair countries emphasized in their June 18 joint statement at Los Cabos.
The Co-Chairs continued discussions from their June 18 meeting in Paris with the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Co-Chairs expressed their deep concern over recent incidents along the frontlines, and reiterated that the sides' political will to achieve peace is best demonstrated by refraining from maximalist positions, respecting the 1994 ceasefire agreement, and abstaining from hostile public rhetoric.
Regarding reports of the planned opening of an airport in Nagorno-Karabakh, the Co-Chairs received renewed assurances from the sides that they will reject any threat or use of force against civil aircraft, pursue the matter through diplomatic steps, and refrain from politicizing the issue. The Co-Chairs reaffirmed that operation of this airport cannot be used to support any claim of a change in the status of Nagorno-Karabakh, and urged the sides to act in accordance with international law and consistent with current practice for flights over their territory.
The Co-Chairs plan to meet again separately with the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan in order to prepare for a joint meeting of the Ministers in September.
Politics
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The Ministry of Transport of Azerbaijan reacted to the report of the Kazakh side on the crash of AZAL aircraft on 25 December, published on Tuesday 4 February.
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The Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Kazakhstan has published a preliminary report on the investigation of the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer-190 aircraft, which occurred on December 25, 2024, near Aktau. The report is publicly available on the ministry's official website.
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Under the gray, expansive skies of Brussels, a beacon of administrative initiative at the European Commission sparked to life this month, heralding a renewed vigor in the European Union’s diplomatic outreach. The newly established Directorate General for Enlargement and the Eastern Neighborhood (DG ENEST) debuted on February 1st, setting a new course for EU interaction with its eastern neighbors and potential new members.
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Journalist Nargiz Abaslamova, held in Baku's Detention Center No. 1, was subjected to violence by a guard. While passing by the cell of her colleague Sevinj Vagifgizi, Abaslamova tried to greet her, reported on Abzas Media's Facebook page. However, guard Aygul Babaeva forcibly dragged Abaslamova away and deeply scratched the journalist's arm. Abaslamova stated that this is not the first time the mentioned guard has used force and been rude to journalists. A few days ago, Babaeva also used force against Sevinj Vagifgizi.
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