OSCE PRIORITY IN 2008 DIRECTED AT SETTLEMENT OF DELAYED FROZEN CONFLICTS IN AZERBAIJAN, GEORGIA AND MOLDOVA – FINLAND FOREIGN MINISTER

Trend News Agency
Feb 14 2008
Azerbaijan

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.