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The 2023 OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of North Macedonia Bujar Osmani, held two separate telephone conversations with Armenia’s Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov on Tuesday.

Osmani expressed concern over the situation related to the Lachin corridor blocked by Azebaijan for nearly one month, his ministry said in a tweet.

“Encouraged use of diplomatic means to overcome existing challenges & to safeguard affected people on the ground. OSCE ready to support dialogue to defuse tensions,” it added.

In its readout of the phone calls, the OSCE said the chairman “reiterated his readiness for personal engagement to help defuse tensions, and contribute to efforts towards sustainable peace.”

“He also announced that he will hold subsequent separate visits to Armenia and Azerbaijan,” the organization reported.

In a statement on the phone conversation, the Armenian Foreign Ministry said Mirzoyan congratulated his counterpart on the successful launch of his presidency in the OSCE, expressing readiness to actively cooperate in terms of protection and promotion of the fundamental principles of the organization.

During the telephone conversation, a number of issues of the regional security agenda were touched upon.

“Minister Mirzoyan drew the interlocutor's attention to the humanitarian crisis resulting from the blockade of the Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan. It was emphasized that the actions of Azerbaijan grossly violate the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020, as well as international humanitarian law. The Foreign Minister of Armenia underlined that Azerbaijan's actions are aimed at subjecting 120,000 Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh to ethnic cleansing,” the ministry said.

“In the context of preventing the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh, Foreign Minister Mirzoyan stressed the need to undertake clear steps by relevant regional and international institutions, including the OSCE,” the statement added.