Armenpress News Agency , Armenia Tuesday Armenian FM, OSCE Secretary General discuss parliamentary elections of Armenia YEREVAN, MAY 30, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian met with OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier in Yerevan on May 30, “Armenpress” was informed from the press service of MFA Armenia. The meeting kicked off by the private conversation between Nalbandian and Zannier, afterwards, meeting with the presence of the delegations took place. Minister Nalbandian pointed out with satisfaction Armenia’s involvement in all the platforms of activities of the OSCE, assessing the implementation of the OSCE programs in Armenia as exemplary. The Armenian FM expressed regret over the discontinuation of the only OSCE Office in the South Caucasus located in Yerevan, recording that Azerbaijan did not stand back from abusing its right of veto in the sidelines of the OSCE, banning the future operation of the office. Minister Nalbandian hoped that the works and the projects of the office will be continued in other formats. OSCE Secretary General Zannier also referred to the closure of the OSCE Yerevan Office, expressing regret for that the organization was unable to thwart the process. Zannier also noted that stopping the operation of the OSCE Office in Yerevan does not mean that that the OSCE will suspend the implementation of various projects in Armenia, noting that Armenia and the OSCE have a saturated agenda, therefore, the sides will seek for other formats to continue the active cooperation. During the meeting the interlocutors also touched upon the parliamentary elections of Armenia that took place on April 2. It was recorded that an unprecedented large number of observers were observing the election process. The assessments of the international observer missions were highlighted, according to which the election was well organized, the fundamental human rights were respected, while the results of the election reflect the will of the people of Armenia. Minister Nalbandian presented to the OSCE Secretary General the efforts of Armenia and the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chair countries aimed at propelling the peace process of Nagorno Karabakh conflict. The implementation of the agreements reached in 2016 in Vienna and St. Petersburg was highlighted. Other issues of the OSCE agenda were also discussed at the meeting, including the implementation process of the priorities of the Austrian chairmanship, as well as many other urgent issues of international and regional security. After the meeting, Minister Nalbandian and Secretary General Zannier held a joint press conference.
Month: May 2017
Estonian parlt committee chairs on a working visit to Armenia
Baltic News Service / - BNS Tuesday 1:51 PM EET Estonian parlt committee chairs on a working visit to Armenia TALLINN, May 30, BNS - Marko Mihkelson, chairman of the foreign affairs committee of the Estonian parliament, and Hannes Hanso, chairman of the national defense committee, are on a working visit to Armenia on Tuesday and Wednesday, where their meetings with the representatives of the government and the parliament will focus on bilateral relations and the European Union's Eastern Partnership program. "The Eastern Partnership program of the European Union is one of the central foreign policy issues of the Estonian EU presidency, and therefore the meetings in Armenia will focus on it," Mihkelson said. "Although Armenia has decided to join the Eurasian Economic Union, which is led by Russia, there will certainly be room for cooperation also with the European Union." Mihkelson said that Estonia has shared with Armenia its best transition and reform experience practices in building up democratic institutions, and is ready to do that also in the future. So far the development cooperation has concerned the e-state and the educational sector. There have been several projects to support the development of democracy, the IT sector, and business. Mihkelson emphasized that the main challenge of the Eastern Partnership policy in the coming years is deepening the relations between Armenia and the EU, and the continuing democratization of the country. He expressed hope that the framework agreement between Armenia and the EU would be signed during the Estonian EU presidency. Hanso said that in recent years the foreign and security policy priorities of Armenia have been aimed at the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and Russia. In his opinion, there is high potential for developing bilateral relations mainly in business, education, civil society and the IT services sector. "Keeping in mind the close defense cooperation between Armenia and Russia, we do not see the need or wish for closer defense cooperation with Armenia at the moment. But it is important to keep the communication channels open and to hear also Armenia's positions. And we are always ready to discuss new ideas and initiatives," Hanso said. Hanso said that the relations between Armenia and Russia are good only conditionally, and actually Russia only wants to have more control in the region. "At the same time we know that nobody wants the status of a little brother," he said. "The Armenian society is rather disappointed with Russia's behaviour, and sees through the propaganda. Therefore it is very important to support the development of civil society." During the visit Mihkelson and Hanso are also scheduled to meet with Eduard Sharmazanov, deputy speaker of the Armenian parliament; Edward Nalbandyan, minister of foreign affairs; Artak Zakaryan, first deputy minister of defense; Armen Ashotyan, chairman of the National Assembly's standing committee on foreign relations, and Kohyun Nahapetyan, chairman of the National Assembly's standing committee on defense and security, with whom they will discuss bilateral relations and Armenia's relations with its neighbors and the situation in the south Caucasus in general. Mihkelson and Hanso on Wednesday will attend a conference on the relations between the EU and Armenia, where the European Union's neighborhood policy and ties with Russia and China will be discussed. Mihkelson and Hanso will also be informed about the Armenian e-learning portal Dasaran, which enables to provide equal access to education for all children in Armenia. At present the portal connects all public schools across Armenia and has nearly one million registered users. Tallinn newsroom, +372 610 8832, [email protected] Baltic News Service
BAKU: Scandal around the "Peace Platform"
Turan Information Agency, Azerbaijani opposition Monday Scandal around the "Peace Platform" Baku / 29.05.17 / Turan: The "Public Platform", created a few months ago from public figures of Azerbaijan and Armenia, seems to begin to fall apart. Thus, one of the Armenian members of this public association Vahan Martirosyan made accusations against Azerbaijan. So, this former political refugee, who hid for several months in Baku with his family, suddenly stated that the Peace Platform was a product of Azerbaijani special services and called on not to trust its members. After leaving Baku, Martirosyan resided in a third country and cooperated with one of the pro-government websites of Azerbaijan for a long time. He thanked the Azerbaijani authorities for a long time and supported the activities of the "Platform for Peace" in every possible way, however, for some unknown reasons, he now began to say that he does not trust the Azerbaijani authorities and urges his compatriots in Armenia not to yield to Baku propaganda, but on the contrary to resist it in every way. Whatever the reasons for such a "metamorphosis", this indicates that attempts to create an authoritative structure from someone else are doomed to failure. At one time, human rights activists of Azerbaijan and Armenia actively cooperated in humanitarian issues and raised the issue of reconciliation of the two peoples at a serious level. However, to some in Baku, this seemed a betrayal and a dangerous undertaking. Moreover, human rights activists were accused of treason and even imprisoned as Armenian spies. But now, the "peacekeeper" selected by the Azerbaijani authorities from Armenia beautifully spat in the face, the authors of this venture called "The Platform of the World". -02B-
BAKU: German MP: Karabakh conflict settlement should base on Madrid principles
AzerNews, Azerbaijan
German MP: Karabakh conflict settlement should base on Madrid principles
11:11 (UTC+04:00)
By Rashid Shirinov
The Madrid principles should be base of the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, German parliamentary Christoph Bergner told news.am on May 28.
“I think we all need to understand that the Madrid principles must underlie the solution of this complicated conflict,” said the MP.
Bergner added that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict should be resolved through peaceful negotiations. “Germany cannot resolve the conflict. It needs to be solved in the framework of the OSCE Minsk group, and only through negotiations."
Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with signing of a fragile ceasefire in 1994. Since the war, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.
While the OSCE Minsk Group acted as the only mediator in resolution of the conflict, the occupation of the territory of the sovereign state with its internationally recognized boundaries has been left out of due attention of the international community for years.
Armenia ignores four UN Security Council resolutions on immediate withdrawal from the occupied territory of Azerbaijan, thus keeping tension high in the region.
BAKU: OSCE’s Zannier: no one to blame for Yerevan office closure
Trend, Azerbaijan
16:58 (UTC+04:00)
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 30
By Elmira Tariverdiyeva – Trend:
The OSCE acts within a consensus and does not blame the one who broke the consensus, OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier told a press conference in Yerevan, commenting on the closure of the OSCE office in Armenia, aysor.am news website reports.
The OSCE Permanent Council failed to reach a consensus on the issue of extending the mandate of the organization’s office in Armenia, reads a message on the OSCE website.
The OSCE office in Yerevan will stop operating on August 31, according to the message.
Lamberto Zannier noted that the organization does not blame anyone who did not join the consensus.
He said the OSCE will try to find ways to continue cooperating with Armenia.
Previously, Baku repeatedly expressed concern over the activities of the OSCE Yerevan office, which contravene the mandate, and, as a result, the consensus on the continuation of its operation was not reached.
BAKU: Azerbaijani MP: Armenia’s Iskander missiles threat whole Europe
AzerNews, Azerbaijan
12:20 (UTC+04:00)
238
By Rashid Shirinov
Presence of Iskander-M operational-tactical missile complexes in the arsenal of Armenia poses a threat not only for South Caucasus, but for whole Europe.
Member of the Azerbaijani Parliament Siyavush Novruzov announced about this at the meeting of the Defense and Security Committee of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (PA) in Tbilisi on May 28.
Addressing the meeting on the topic "Ballistic missile defense and NATO," Canadian MP Joseph A. Day noted the danger to the world community from the presence of ballistic missiles in North Korea, Iran and other countries.
After the Canadian MP’s report, Novruzov brought to the attention of the Committee Chairman the information on the existence of ballistic missiles in Armenia.
“It is gratifying that the report notes the danger of ballistic missiles to the world community. As you know, Russia gave Armenia weapons for $1 billion. There are Iskander-M operational-tactical missile complexes among them. This missile system is a source of danger not only for the South Caucasus, but for the whole Europe,” he said.
Novruzov further mentioned the recent threats voiced by Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan regarding the possible strike on Azerbaijan with these missiles.
Head of the Committee thanked Novruzov and said his proposal was accepted.
The acquisition of Iskander missile complexes by Armenia in 2016 caused new wave of debates around the Nagorno-Karabakh problem. A number of experts condemned this purchase, noting that it escalates already fragile situation in the region.
Threats from the Armenian leadership to Azerbaijan show the essence of the aggressive policy of Armenia, which instead of withdrawing its armed forces from the occupied Azerbaijani lands and letting Azerbaijani refugees and IDPs return to their homes, continues its unsuccessful attempts to frighten Azerbaijan.
NAASR Receives $225,000 Grant from Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund
Armenian Weekly
BELMONT, Mass.—On May 18, the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) received a grant of $225,000 from the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund of the Massachusetts Cultural Council to go toward construction of an elevator and other accessibility features as part of NAASR’s $4.5 million project for its headquarters on Concord Avenue in Belmont. With this grant, NAASR has commitments for 70 percent of the total budget.
NAASR will be undertaking a $4.5 million, top-to-bottom renovation of its aging building in Belmont, Mass.
NAASR’s aim is to transform its building, which has remained virtually unchanged since its purchase in 1989, and to welcome the public with a redesigned bookstore, lounge café, scholars’ conference room, and garden atrium, and solarium, encouraging research, study, lectures, informal gatherings, and professional activities centered around Armenian Studies. The building transformation is being designed by the architectural, design, and engineering firm of Symmes Maini & McKee Associates in Cambridge, Mass.
Renovations to the building, funded in part with this grant, will bring the building into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by adding an elevator serving all levels, an entry ramp, and accessible rest rooms. The renovation will also add a fourth level (third story) to the building, with a 150-person event hall and state-of-the-art audio-visual technology to allow live streaming and remote participants and presenters from throughout the world.
“This grant is essential in helping to preserve our rare holdings for future generations and make them accessible to all,” said Yervant Chekijian, NAASR’s Chairman of the Board. “With the latest technologies incorporated into the building, we will be able to connect people from around the world and truly become a global center for Armenian Studies.”
The initial reason for NAASR’s capital project was to preserve NAASR’s rare books, periodicals, and archives in NAASR’s Edward and Helen Mardigian Library, one of the top five publicly accessible Armenian Studies libraries in the world, soon to reach 40,000 volumes in diverse languages and alphabets, with holdings dating to the 1600s.
The library has grown to become world class and is a living legacy of culture and history after the Armenian Genocide. NAASR’s holdings are mostly in Armenian, but many are in Turkish, Persian, Russian, French, English, Arabic, and German, and other languages, and NAASR welcomes anyone to browse and study in the library.
The inspiring design and upgraded accessibility will draw professionals, students, scholars, thought leaders, genealogical researchers, and the general public into the building to attend evening programs, study, conduct research, browse the bookstore, and connect with each other.
“We are thrilled and honored to be selected for a Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund grant,” said NAASR Executive Director Sarah Ignatius. “It comes at the exact right moment to motivate people to make our vision a reality. And we are grateful that Massachusetts recognizes the critical importance of supporting capital investments to cultural non-profits.”
Founded in 1955, NAASR is the only national, non-profit organization serving as a bridge between Armenian Studies scholars and the public, to preserve and enrich Armenian culture, history, and identity for future generations. Each year, NAASR hosts over 40 lectures on a wide range of topics from 5th century art to contemporary realities in the Republic of Armenia and the Near East.
NAASR lectures reach a multi-generational audience, which includes students, professionals, and the general public, and encompasses NAASR’s contemporary topics series, supported by Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, with programs on Syrian Armenians, Nagorno-Karabagh, Armenian identity, and diasporan involvement in Armenia’s development.
Each year, NAASR awards grants to scholars and recently helped to fund Prof. Taner Akçam’s groundbreaking work uncovering lost evidence about the Armenian Genocide. NAASR also operates one of the largest English-language bookstores on Armenian topics, available onsite and online through NAASR’s website at www.naasr.org.
NAASR’s mission is to foster Armenian Studies and build community worldwide to preserve and enrich Armenian culture, history, and identity for future generations. NAASR achieved its initial ambitious goal of advancing Armenian Studies by raising funds to help endow the first chairs of Armenian Studies at Harvard and UCLA less than 50 years after the Armenian Genocide, and has since gone on to support other endowed positions, which now exist at 13 universities, increasing awareness of Armenian contributions to world culture and civilization, and laying the factual foundation upon which Genocide recognition rests, leading to a new generation relying on NAASR for academic research and connections to the public.
For more information about NAASR visit www.naasr.org or contact or 617-489-1610.
NAASR Receives $225,000 Grant from Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund
BAKU: Armenia – Caucasus’s powder keg, or region on verge of new war
AzerNews, Azerbaijan
15:02 (UTC+04:00)
By Fuad Muxtar-Aqbabali
Hardly a day goes by without shelling of Azerbaijani civilian targets and front line villages by Armenian occupying forces. The enemy resorts to similar provocations, especially when Azerbaijan plays host to international events.
The latest deterioration along the front line also overlapped with the start of the fourth Islamic Solidarity Games. Yerevan made an attempt to deteriorate the situation by advancing “Osa surface-to-air missile system of the Armenian air defense forces to a new position… to take control of the airspace,” the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry said in a press release on 15 May 2017.
Funny enough, three days later, finally a statement by the OSCE Minsk Group came. “According to information collected from multiple reliable sources, on 15 May, Azerbaijani armed forces fired a missile across the Line of Contact, striking military equipment. On the evening of 16 May and continuing into 17 May, Armenian armed forces retaliated with mortar fire of various calibers. These actions by both sides represent significant violations of the ceasefire and are cause for alarm,” the statement read.
As usual, without denunciation of the aggressor and explaining the reasons why Azerbaijan destroyed the enemy’s military equipment, the group remained loyal to years-old style and expressed concern about the “violations of the ceasefire”.
The same group, however, failed to react to a statement by Maj-Gen Andranik Makaryan, commander of the Russian-Armenian combined group of forces, who threatened Azerbaijan with military actions if Baku goes to war to liberate the occupied Karabakh and surrounding seven adjacent districts.
Armenia as a red herring
For nearly two decades into the XXI century, the aggressor state of Armenia in the South Caucasus has been retaining about 20 per cent of Azerbaijani territories under occupation. Armenia was, is, and will undoubtedly be a powder keg in the whole Caucasus, distracting nations from cementing their deeply-cherished independence and sovereignty.
Unless official Yerevan is taught a bitter lesson, the aggression against Azerbaijani ancestral lands, for sure to go on endlessly, and no hopes that the junta regimes driven by ultra-nationalistic motives will give up preposterous claims on the neighbor’s internationally-recognized lands.
Yerevan’s belligerent policies remain an imminent threat not only to Azerbaijan but also to Georgia, another nation in the South Caucasus. Carrying similar threats for centuries and serving alien plans’ realization in the region, Armenia has also deteriorated own plight plagued by corruption, debts, economic and political dependency, the exodus of residents and internal tension.
The nation – home to Russian military bases – has so far failed to realize the dreadful and aggressive nature of its policies. It stubbornly refuses to end treacherous policies, and tries with the help of patrons and anti-Azerbaijani circles to deny the aggression. It both retains the occupation of Azerbaijani lands and serves malign forces’ far-reaching plans to keep the region in explosive and desperate situation.
Azerbaijan rightly refuses to reconcile itself with the status quo and is set to change it at any cost to end the unjust occupation. Armenia also serves interests of states who vehemently oppose Azerbaijan’s determination to safeguard hard-won independence, restore the territorial integrity to navigate through unseen and unpredictable obstacles in the region.
Armenia as well distracts Azerbaijan’s attention from strengthening own state institutions, investment in the national economy and building prosperous future for citizens. With the occupation of Azerbaijani lands and ignoring international laws, official Yerevan plays into hands of states driven by own plans and plots to keep the region in turmoil for years to come.
With the help of foreign pro-Armenian politicians and organizations, official Yerevan and the diaspora also hopelessly tried to block Azerbaijan’s oil and gas pipelines, the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum railways project, designed both to be conducive to the regional and global economic development and to help Europe to diversify gas supplies away from Russia.
Carte blanche or challenge to Putin?
Deeply-polarized by almost two-decade rule of the rogue regimes and economic hardships, official Yerevan shows no signs of relinquishing aggressive policies against the neighbor and ceding Azerbaijani lands to bring about peace and harmony to the Caucasus. On the contrary, the corrupt and criminal regime paves the way for the possible fresh turmoils, becoming instrumental in further aggravation of the situation across the region.
Azerbaijan is in complete control of the situation along the entire perimeter of the front and has to step up pressure on the aggressor country through inflicting heavy casualties on it. Official Baku has to constantly apply political, economic, diplomatic, military leverage over Armenia to stifle any move for justification.
It is to no avail and useless to pin hopes on the OSCE Minsk Group to resolve the long-drawn-out conflict. Azerbaijan has long endured the status quo and hoped that the international mediators will finally live up to the obligations and commitments though almost 30 years have been lost in the hope of triumph of justice.
Over this period, Armenia has been misappropriating neighboring Azerbaijan's our national resources, destroying historical monuments, mosques, erasing their identities through changing names of districts and villages.
Azerbaijan couldn’t and did not reconcile itself with the endless occupation. The April 2006 flare-up proved the might of the Azerbaijani army to act, and as the Azerbaijani Supreme Commander-in-Chief said “the Armenian armed forces need to draw a conclusion from the April fighting, or there will be more successful military operations, like Lala Tapa”.
Describing the April fighting as yet another historic victory, President Aliyev said that “the world witnessed that Azerbaijan will never tolerate Armenia’s occupying policy. We must restore our territorial integrity and we will. It’s our ancestral land. The Lala Tapa military operation is our symbol of heroism and it made a history…”
The aggressor itself has been hardly hit by the junta regime’s aggression against Azerbaijani lands. The unfounded military spending, political apathy, poverty, emigration and others have reduced this resource-poor country, built on our lands and funded for 70 years from Soviet budget, to the verge of collapse.
Judging by Armenia’s moves, official Yerevan has charted several scenarios out of the current situation.
Firstly, to let Russia cement its dominance over the country despite domestic discontent; secondly, to mobilize pro-Armenian forces across Europe and the USA to bring pressure on Azerbaijan. Fortunately, Donald Trump’s victory disillusioned the Armenian Diaspora and deprived it of the leverage.
Thirdly, Armenia seeks to get support of as many countries as possible to disappoint Azerbaijan, and encourage investment in the poverty-stricken country.
Hit hard by the on-going economic recession, the exodus of citizens, the loss of even symbolic independence, Armenia is making futile attempts to make a comeback after the devastating 2016 April defeat in the hands of the Azerbaijani army. Azerbaijan has been on full alert for threats coming from Armenia and works day and night to confront them, using all available resources.
Despite Azerbaijan’s persistent calls and UN resolutions, urging the aggressor state to unconditionally liberate the occupied lands, Yerevan beats about the bush. On the contrary, it plots fresh and appalling plans to cause blatant provocation against Azerbaijan. Another latest provocation of Armenia came to light when Azerbaijan arrested a number of military servicemen and civilians, who, it said, provided military secrets to the aggressor Armenia.
Another trick Armenia resorted to is to closely involve Moscow’s 102nd military base, stationed in Armenia’s northern city of Gyumri and part of the Southern Military District of the Russian armed forces, in its aggression against Azerbaijan. At the same time, under the 2016 interstate treaty, the military base has been subordinated to the Russian-Armenian combined group of forces.
Maj-Gen Andranik Makaryan, commander of the combined group of forces, bragged about the group’s readiness to neutralize a potential threat from Turkey. “If there is a threat from Turkey, we will throw ourselves in the enemy’s way. This is enshrined in the documents,” the general out of nowhere told a news conference.
Makaryan also claimed that the military group would be used against Azerbaijan if the latter goes to war to liberate occupied Karabakh and surrounding seven adjacent districts. Asked if Putin can ban their attack or not, the arrogant general was quoted as saying: “No, he can’t.”
This claim remains to be seen and tested.
BAKU: Blogger Lapshin meets with mother in Baku’s detention facility
AzerNews, Azerbaijan
17:53 (UTC+04:00)
By Rashid Shirinov
Blogger Alexander Lapshin, who is under arrest in Azerbaijan, has met with his mother Bella Lapshina in the medical center of Baku’s detention facility No. 1, Lapshin’s lawyer Eduard Chernin told Trend on May 30.
The lawyer said that Bella Lapshina arrived in Baku to get acquainted with the investigation process and ask about her son’s health.
“The investigation into the criminal case filed against Lapshin has been completed,” the lawyer said. “The case is being reviewed. Then the files will be sent to the court.”
Blogger Lapshin, who owns citizenship of several countries, will stand trial in Baku for his illegal visits to the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan.
The blogger illegally visited Azerbaijan`s Armenia-occupied lands and now is charged under the articles 281.2 (appeals directed against state) and 318.2 (illegal border crossing) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan. He violated Azerbaijani laws on state border in April 2011 and October 2012.
Helped by his accomplices in the occupied territories, Lapshin paid a number of visits to Azerbaijan`s occupied lands, where he voiced support for "independence" of the illegal regime, and made public calls against Azerbaijan`s internationally recognized territorial integrity on April 6 and June 29, 2016.
The blogger was arrested in Minsk in late 2016 and transferred to Baku in February 2017.
BAKU: Envoy: Japan expects peaceful resolution of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
AzerNews, Azerbaijan
17:49 (UTC+04:00)
By Rashid Shirinov
Japan fully supports the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs’ efforts to settle the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and expects peaceful resolution based on the principles of international law, Japanese Ambassador to Azerbaijan Teruyuki Katori told APA on May 30.
The diplomat expressed Japan’s deep concern over the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh and voiced sincere condolences to its victims.
“Conflicts destabilize their regions. A final resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is essential for the peace and stability of the South Caucasus region,” noted Katori.
The ambassador added that the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is not a problem of two parties."It includes much more context from regional issues to geopolitics. It is very difficult to solve this problem only between the two countries,” he said.
Katori added that it is necessary to cooperate with related countries, neighboring states and international organizations to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
The conflict began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.
Armenia still controls fifth part of Azerbaijan's territory and rejects implementing four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts.
The OSCE Minsk Group, the activities of which have become known as the Minsk Process, is working to find a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. While the OSCE Minsk Group acts as the only mediator in resolution of the conflict, it failed to make any move to achieve a breakthrough in the peace process so far.