OSCE MG’S CO-CHAIRS PREPARE NEXT MEETING OF FOREIGN MINISTERS OF AZERBAIJAN AND ARMENIA

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
April 25 2007

Azerbaijan, Baku / corr. Trend E.Huseynov / The Russian Co-chair of
the OSCE Minsk Group on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement, Yuri
Merzlyakov, informed Trend that the co-chairs of the Minsk Group
prepare the next meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan
and Armenia.

He remembered that the recent meeting of the Foreign Ministers
of Azerbaijan, Elmar Mammadyarov and Armenia, Vardan Oskanyan was
organized on 18-19 April. "Presently we are seeking possibilities
to organize the next meeting of the Foreign Ministers," Merzlyakov
said, adding that it is very difficult to bring them together. He did
not exclude that the next meeting of the Foreign Ministers may take
place in May or later. The Russian diplomat said that the co-chairs
plan to make a visit to Madrid on 10 May to meet with the OSCE
Chairman-in-Office, Spanish Foreign Minister, Miguel Angel Moratinos.

Thereafter, the co-chairs will make a visit to the conflict region
at the end of May.

The conflict between the two countries of South Caucasus began in
1988 due to then territorial claims of Armenia against Azerbaijan.

Armenia has occupied 20% of the Azerbaijani lands including
Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven Districts of the country surrounding
it. Since 1992 to the present time, these territories have been under
the occupation of the Armenian Forces. In 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia
signed a cease-fire agreement at which time the active hostilities
ended. The OSCE Minsk Group holds peaceful negotiations.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress