Concrete and tangible steps in the resolution of protracted conflicts should remain high on the OSCE’s agenda. The Organization should continue to play a role in addressing the protracted conflicts in the OSCE space, the U.S State Department said today. The foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan met in Kyiv to continue dialogue on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict; their joint statement with the U.S., Russian, and French heads of delegation, which was endorsed by the OSCE Ministerial Council, is an encouraging sign of our shared commitment to making progress toward a peaceful settlement, according to the statement.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven 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 peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions. /Trend/
