The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Irish FM Eamon Gilmore and Azerbaijani FM Elmar Mammadyarov discussed the Karabakh peace process during their meeting in Baku on Thursday.

“During the meeting we came to a common conclusion that status quo is unacceptable and solution to the conflict should be reached as soon as possible,” Mammadyarov said, APA agency reports.

During his visit to the region, Gilmore condemned recent violent incidents and urged the sides to further advance their work on the general principles of a resolution, implement confidence-building measures, namely the removal of snipers from the line of contact, an agreement on a mechanism for investigating incidents on the frontlines, and following through on the recent agreement by the Presidents to develop people-to-people contacts.

“The cycle of violence must stop - this conflict will not be resolved by the use of force,” he stressed.

He reiterated support for the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, saying the OSCE wants to help the region move towards a lasting peace, the OSCE website said.

 “We in Ireland, through the Northern Ireland Peace Process, have witnessed the fact that empathy, tolerance, respect and inclusiveness – the readiness to accommodate differences – are key to successful peace talks. We cannot impose a solution, but we can provide a forum for dialogue.”

In his meetings the Chairperson expressed concern about freedom of the media in the country and arrests of journalists. He discussed co-operation with the OSCE Office in Baku which supports the authorities in the human, political, economic and environmental aspects of security and stability.

The visit to Baku completes the OSCE Chairperson’s trip to the South Caucasus that started in Yerevan on 11 and 12 June, followed by a visit to Tbilisi on 12 and 13 June.