CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY
Mr. Chair,
We are deeply concerned by the ongoing military hostilities along the line of contact in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone. We urge the parties to immediately cease the hostilities and without preconditions re-engage in meaningful and substantive negotiations under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group, with a view to finding a long-lasting, peaceful and balanced solution, respecting, inter alia, the principles of territorial integrity.
Recent reports of civilian deaths and injuries on both sides of the conflict are most disturbing. The reports of the use of cluster munitions and other prohibited weapons makes the continued fighting even more worrisome. We remind the parties of their obligations to take all measures to spare civilian lives.
Unless we see an immediate end to the fighting, more lives will be lost. The longer the fighting goes on, the harder it will be to create trust among the parties. We would therefore encourage the parties to the conflict, as well as all countries in the region, to refrain from any activities that could contribute to further escalation.
We commend and support the work of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson in Office for the conflict dealt with by the Minsk Group.
Thank you