RUSSIA IS NOT ONLY CO-CHAIR OF OSCE MINSK GROUP… :RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR

TREND Information
1.07.08 13:29
Azerbaijan

The Armenian-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh will be the
main topic of the talks between the Presidents of Azerbaijan and
Russia. The talks will be held within the framework of an official
visit of Dmitriy Medvedyev, the Russian President, to Azerbaijan on
3-4 July, Vasiliy Istratov, the Russian Ambassador to Azerbaijan,
told journalists on 1 July.

"You know that Russia is not the only co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group
and works together with the United States and France," the Ambassador
said. He also noted that Russia was urged to play a constructive
role in the settlement of the conflict because of the historical
circumstances and takes its utmost for the conflict settlement.

During the meeting in Baku the heads of the Azerbaijani and Russian
Governments will hold detailed talks on the solution of the conflict.

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.