Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s telephone conversation with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier

On April 4, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had a telephone conversation with Frank-Walter Steinmeier, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and German Foreign Minister, at the latter’s initiative.

The ministers expressed serious concern over the escalation at the line of contact in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict that has already led to many deaths, including among civilians. Mr Lavrov and Mr Steinmeier agreed that the conflict in the region could not be resolved with a military solution, and spoke in favour of the parties exercising restraint, ceasing fire immediately and returning to negotiations under the aegis of the OSCE Minsk Group.

The ministers also exchanged opinions on a number of current international issues, including coordinating action to achieve crisis resolution in Ukraine based on the Minsk Agreements, with assistance of the Contact Group, under the guidance of the Normandy Four and with the support of other members of the international community.

April 4, 2016