Yerevan /Mediamax/. OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Austria’s Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said today that "it is now high time for a focus on steps for confidence-building” in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue.

The OSCE Office informed that Sebastian Kurz made that statement at the meeting with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs.

“The fighting and the violence we witnessed one year ago – the worst in the past two decades – caused destruction, suffering and human losses. It was a vivid reminder of how quickly the machinery of war can undermine efforts for peace. On this occasion, we call on all sides to refrain from any actions that jeopardize the ceasefire,” said Sebastian Kurz.

He urged all sides to live up to their commitment to strictly observe their international humanitarian obligations, as “war crimes can never be justified”.

OSCE Chairperson-in-Office expressed his hope that the sides will give fresh impetus to the negotiations.

“Clashes and serious violations of the ceasefire on the Line of Contact, resulting in casualties, were of particular concern to us throughout the past year. It is now high time for a focus on pragmatic and practical steps for confidence-building as well as a resumption of substantive negotiations,” he stressed.

Sebastian Kurz expressed his condolences to the families affected by the April war.

“The aftershock of the fighting one year ago has made it more difficult for Armenians and Azerbaijanis to believe in peace, but as I have stated on numerous occasions, there is no military solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. We should plan for peace now, and not allow war to return with all of its terrible consequences,” added OSCE Chairperson.

He emphasized that the OSCE Chairmanship stands ready to contribute to the efforts of the sides to implement the agreements reached during the summits in Vienna and St. Petersburg.