I have urged Armenia and Azerbaijani to release all detainees and resume high level negotiations under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group to find a solution to all outstanding issues, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde said at a joint press conference with OSCE Secretary General Helga Schmidt.

“There is still no real peace agreement between the parties,” she said.

Ann Linde disagreed with the opinion that the OSCE has not been putting enough effort in the Karabakh conflict.

“I have a Special Representative, who is very active. I had a physical meeting with him to discuss the situation. We have co-chairmanship comprising the United States, Russia and France, who try to play a positive role even if they have not been able to enter the area for the last year, partly because of Covid and other reasons,” the Chairperson said.

She reminded that in mid-June there was an agreement to return 15 detainees to Armenia and hand over information to Azerbaijan that will help facilitate important demining work.

“I think it was a welcome confidence-building measure, and here was valuable role-play by Georgia, the United States, as well as excellent cooperation between the President of the European Council and our Swedish chairpersonship. I have urged Armenia and Azerbaijan to release all detainees and resume high level negotiations under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group to find a solution to all outstanding issues,” she stated.