OSCE PA President hails Baku-Yerevan agreements

President of OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (PA) Pia Kauma (Finland) and OSCE PA Special Representative for the South Caucasus Kari Henriksen (Norway) have welcomed the agreements between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

They assessed the results of the talks held between the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration and the Armenian Prime Minister's Office as "a historic step towards lasting peace in the region, demonstrating the commitment of both countries to normalise relations and achieve a peace treaty based on the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity," Report informs citing the statement by the OSCE PA press service.

"I commend these decisive steps taken by the leaders of the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan to build confidence between the two countries. In particular, the release of military servicemen on both sides, driven by the values of humanism and goodwill, sets a positive precedent for future co-operation. I hope that it will serve as an inspiration for further initiatives," the OSCE PA President said.

Following negotiations between the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Office of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, guided by principles of humanism and as a goodwill gesture between the two nations, an agreement has been reached to release 32 individuals of Armenian origin by Azerbaijan and two Azerbaijani servicemen by Armenia.