BAKU, Azerbaijan: The United Nations Secretary General António Guterres has welcomed the first meeting between the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, Azerbaijan State News Agency Azertac reported on Saturday.
The meeting was held in Vienna on March 29, 2019 under the auspices of the Co-Chairs of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group, at which they discussed the Nagorno-Karabakh issue.
The two leaders agreed to continue the dialogue and instructed their respective foreign ministers Zohrab Mnatsakanyan and Elmar Mammadyarov to meet with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to that end.
“The Secretary-General welcomes the emphasis the leaders placed on creating an environment conducive to peace and on taking further steps towards successful negotiations,” the spokesman of the UN secretary general said in a statement.
The UN secretary general also welcomed the recommitment by Ilham Aliyev and Nikol Pashinyan to strengthening the ceasefire and addressing humanitarian issues, as well as continuing dialogue to find a peaceful solution to the conflict.
António Guterres also commended the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs for their important mediation role and reiterates the full support of the United Nations for their continued efforts.
