By Azernews

By Rashid Shirinov

Azerbaijan’s Defense Minister, Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov met with OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs Igor Popov of Russia, Richard Hoagland of the U.S. and Stephane Visconti of France, as well as Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk on June 19.

During the meeting in Baku, the sides discussed the operational situation on the contact line between the Azerbaijani and Armenian troops.

The Minsk Group co-chairs are on a visit to Baku to mull the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution. Previously, the co-chairs visited Yerevan and then the occupied Azerbaijani territories.

Earlier today, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev received OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs.

The Nagorno-Karabakh 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 Minsk Group, the activities of which have become known as the Minsk Process, spearheads the OSCE's efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. It is co-chaired by France, the Russian Federation, and the United States. Although the OSCE Minsk Group deals with the issue for over two decades, its activities have brought no breakthrough results so far.