Azerbaijani deputy foreign minister to attend BSEC foreign ministers’ meeting in Yerevan

Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation is an intergovernmental organization which composes 12 countries from the Black Sea shore and South Balkans. The BSEC was founded on May 1, 1999 based on the Agreement on the Black Sea Economic Cooperation dated June 25, 1992. Headquarters is located in Istanbul. The BSEC members include Albania, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Armenia, Greece, Georgia, Moldova, Romania, Turkey and Ukraine.

Armenia, as organization's chairman, has invited Turkish and Azerbaijani foreign ministers to the BSEC foreign minister's meeting in Yerevan on April 15-16, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan told reporters earlier.

Azerbaijan has been in conflict with Armenia since the latter occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's lands.
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.

/Trend News/