“The escalation of hostilities at the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan must cease immediately. The progress achieved so far by following the diplomatic path must not be squandered,” said Rau. “There has been progress over the past eighteen months, including agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan to continue work towards a peace treaty. These clashes jeopardize this progress and put countless lives at risk.”
“I can only stress that hostilities must stop, not least to avoid further casualties,” said Schmid. “Drawing on decades of experience and expertise, the OSCE stands ready to help. We all share the joint objective of achieving sustainable peace and prosperity in the region.”