OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS SEND WRITTEN PROPOSALS ON SETTLEMENT OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
Nov 29 2007

Azerbaijan, Baku /corr. Trend S.Agayeva / The Co-chairs of the OSCE
Minsk Group sent Azerbaijan written proposals regarding the settlement
of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry’s Press
Secretary, Khazar Ibrahim, reported Trend Special Correspondent on
29 November in Madrid.

Ibrahim said that the documents included 10 proposals, one of which
had not been co-ordinated due to its importance. He did not divulge
any further on the proposal.

The Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, Elmar Mammadyarov, met with the
Co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group on 29 November in Madrid.

The Minister’s meeting which was attended by the Foreign Minister
of Armenia, Vardan Oskanyan, US Co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group,
Matthew Bryza, Foreign Minister of Russia, Sergey Lavrov, US Assistant
Secretary of State for International Affairs and Nicolas Berns,
took place within the 15th meeting of the OSCE Foreign Ministers,
which is being held in Madrid.

The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus began
in 1988 due to Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since
1992, Armenian Armed Forces have occupied 20% of Azerbaijan including
the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven surrounding districts. In
1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which
time the active hostilities ended. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk
Group ( Russia, France, and the US) are currently holding peaceful
negotiations.