OSCE MG co-chairs prepare meeting of Azerbaijani, Armenian FMs

By Trend:

The meeting of the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia, held on October 16 in Geneva and their readiness for constructive work with the OSCE Minsk Group to reach a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict through negotiations is a good sign, OSCE Minsk Group co-chair Andrew Schaeffer said, according to Armenian media.

"As the co-chairman country the United States remain committed to the Minsk process and continues to urge the parties to respect the ceasefire regime and continue the negotiations at the highest level, taking steps to fully implement the achievements reached earlier, including in Vienna and St. Petersburg. The co-chairs work with the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia to clarify the date of the next meeting, which is expected in the coming weeks", the diplomat noted.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries 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 districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.