OSCE MG Co-chairs urge not to target civilians

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 2, ARMENPRESS. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, Stéphane Visconti of France, and Andrew Schofer of the United States of America) released a statement on October 2, expressing alarm over increasing civilian casualties, ARMENPRESS was informed from the official website of the OSCE.

‘’The Co-Chairs strongly condemn the continued violencein the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone as well as against targets in the territory of Armenia and Azerbaijan away from the Line of Contact, and express our alarm at reports of increasing civilian casualties. Targeting or threatening civilians is never acceptable under any circumstances. The Co-Chairscall on thesides to observe fully their international obligations toprotect civilian populations.

The Co-Chairs also stress that participation in the escalating violence by external partiesundermines efforts toachieve lasting peace in the region.

Recalling the October 1 statement of the Presidents of the three Co-Chair countries, the Co-Chairs once again callfor an immediate cessation of hostilities and the resumption of substantive negotiations, in good faith and without preconditions.

The Co-Chairs also call urgently for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to enable the repatriation of remains of fallen servicemen in coordination with the OSCE and ICRC’’, reads the statement.

Editing and translating by Tigran Sirekanyan