OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Foreign Minister of North Macedonia Bujar Osmani arrived in Azerbaijan as part of a regional visit. He was received by President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. The parties discussed the developments in the South Caucasus, the tension in Armenia-Azerbaijan relations, in particular the escalation that took place near the village of Tegh on April 11, as a result of which the parties suffered casualties and injuries.
Ilham Aliyev blamed Armenia for what happened. He stated that allegedly the Armenian side resorted to deliberate provocation.
The Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan also received Bujar Osmani. During the joint press conference held after the meeting, Jeyhun Bayramov noted that from December 2022, direct contacts between Baku and Yerevan regarding the regulation of relations have been stopped.
He complained that the Armenian side is carrying out construction works at a fast pace in the areas adjacent to the place of the incident, evaluating them as destructive and dangerous actions, full of serious consequences.
The acting OSCE chairman, in turn, called for easing the tension in the region. He emphasized that any armed incident, including the one that happened yesterday on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, could lead to a new escalation in the region.
“All conflicts, including between Armenia and Azerbaijan, should be resolved peacefully. As the chairman of the OSCE, I support initiatives aimed at ensuring peace,” said Bujar Osmani.
The Foreign Minister of North Macedonia also spoke in favor of continuing direct contacts between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which, according to the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, will contribute to the normalization of relations.
Before leaving for Azerbaijan within the framework of the regional visit, the OSCE Chairman has already visited Georgia, and after Baku, his visit to Yerevan is also planned.
