UN Chief Backs Work of OSCE Minsk Group on Karabakh Conflict Settlement

YEREVAN (Sputnik) – UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon supported the activity of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group on the Karabakh conflict settlement during Saturday’s telephone conversation with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, the presidential press service said.

The OSCE Minsk Group, co-chaired by the United States, Russia and France, has been mediating the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement since 1992.

"In the course of the telephone conversation with Sargsyan initiated by Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary-general voiced his full support for the activity of the OSCE Minsk Group on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," the press service said in a statement.

Ban also expressed regret that his visit to the Armenian capital of Yerevan was postponed over the unforeseen circumstances, the statement noted.

Meanwhile, Sargsyan noted that he hoped the UN chief’s visit would take place within new agreed terms.

Initially, the UN top official was due to arrive in Armenia on April 25, however, he later postponed his South-Caucasian tour, including the trip to Yerevan.

The violence in Nagorno-Karabakh, a breakaway region of Azerbaijan with a predominantly Armenian population, escalated on April 2. Baku and Yerevan have accused each other of provoking hostilities. They finally reached a shaky ceasefire deal three days later.