TREND, Azerbaijan
Feb 7 2009
OSCE co-chairs to discuss steps to resolve Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
07.02.09 09:00
Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb. 6 /Trend News, E.Tariverdiyeva/
The OSCE Minsk Group Russian, French and U.S. co-chairs will discuss
steps to resolve the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict.
The co-chairs will visit the region in late February or early March to
continue consultations with both countries’ governments, OSCE Minsk
Group U.S. Co-Chair Matthew Bryza wrote Trend News in an email on
Feb. 6.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding
districts. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in
1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group ` Russia, France, and the
U.S. ` are currently holding the peace negotiations.
The co-chairs will discuss steps to resolve the conflict following the
meeting between the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents in Zurich on
Jan. 28.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and his Armenian counterpart Serzh
Sargsyan made progress in agreeing on key elements of the basic
principles, Bryza told Trend News after the meeting.
`The meeting was positive and constructive. The presidents made
progress in solidifying their mutual understanding on several key
elements of the basic principles and in narrowing differences on some
other issues,’ Bryza said.
Recent talks between the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents in Zurich
showed that some progress has been made in resolving the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
`Nevertheless, there are still differences on the issue,’ Azerbaijani
Presidential Administration International Relations Department Chief
Novruz Mammadov told Trend News on Feb. 4.