BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 16. The US administration claims that the mechanism of the Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is no longer functioning and Washington is engaged in a peaceful settlement between Azerbaijan and Armenia only in the process of interacting directly with Baku and Yerevan, senior adviser to the US Secretary of State for negotiations in the Caucasus Philip Reeker said, Trend reports citing TASS.
"It seems to me that it has evolved to the point where we can, through consensus, end this mandate. However, the mandate itself is quite useful. Although the process [of interaction] of the co-chairs of the Minsk Group is no longer functioning. And we (US administration officials) are directly involved with the parties in their peace process," said the diplomat, speaking at a hearing in the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Senate of the US Congress.
"The Minsk Group, as it was known, is not functioning. The mandate remains. The purpose of the mandate is, of course, retained. And the OSCE operates on the basis of consensus. I remain in very close contact with my French colleague, with the EU, which is now so [deeply] involved in the region, with other stakeholders, with the OSCE itself," Reeker noted.