Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
Feb 14 2008

OSCE Priority in 2008 Directed at Settlement of Delayed Frozen
Conflicts in Azerbaijan, Georgia and Moldova – Finland Foreign
Minister
14.02.08 14:07

Azerbaijan, Baku, 14 February / Trend News corr. K.Ramazanova / The
priority of OSCE in 2008 will be the settlement of the delayed
conflicts in Azerbaijan, Georgia and Moldova, Ilkka Kanereva, OSCE
acting-chairman in Washington and Finland Foreign Minister, stated
during the meeting of US Commission in Helsinki on 13 February

Three unsettled frozen conflicts remain: Nagorno-Karabakh,
Georgian-Abkhaz and Georgian-Osetia, on the territory of CIS
countries.

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

Kanereva added that he would pay a visit to the South Caucasus at the
end of February. Within the framework of the visit he would discuss
with the Presidents of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia, ways of
settling the conflicts in the region.