§ Mr. David AtkinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on progress on the establishment of a peacekeeping force for Nagorno-Karabakh under OSCE auspices. [4960]
§ Mr. David DavisThe Budapest ministerial conference of the OSCE—7 to 8 December—decided that the signing of a political agreement on cessation of the armed conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh would enable the OSCE permanent council to take a decision on the establishment of the OSCE peacekeeping operation. The co-chairman of the Minsk group reported to the conference that the parties to the conflict have declared their commitment to continue respecting the ceasefire, and to establish direct contacts to achieve agreement on the principles governing the resolution of the conflict.
A high-level planning group has produced an initial report on the technical aspects of a peacekeeping operation and will make further recommendations.