The EU reaffirms its support for the Minsk Group and restates its complete confidence in the commitment of the Co-Chairs to the search for a fair and lasting settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The statement came in response to Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov who addressed the OSCE Permanent Council on Tuesday.

“We urge the parties to focus on constructive dialogue and encourage them to take greater advantage of the efforts being made by the Co-Chairs. We also welcome the monitoring activities conducted by the Personal Representative of the Chairperson-in-Office,” EU said in a statement.

At the same time the EU expressed concern over a number of developments on the domestic political situation in Azerbaijan “which not only challenge the implementation of its OSCE commitments but also have an impact on EU-Azerbaijani relations.”