Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
July 19 2008

Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict to be Discussed in Moscow: Russian
Co-Chairman of OSCE Minsk Group
19.07.08 11:20

Azerbaijan, Baku, 18 July/ TrendNews, corr R. Novruzov/ The peaceful
resolution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict is expected to be
discussed next week in Moscow.

`The mediators of OSCE Minsk Group will meet with Foreign Ministers of
Azerbaijan and Armenia ` Elmar Mammadyarov and Edward Nalbandyan,’
Yuri Merzlyakov, the Russian co-chairman of OSCE Minsk Group said to
TrendNews on 18 July. Both ministers have given consent to this
meeting, but the date and format of the meeting is to be defined yet,’
the Russian mediator said by telephone from Moscow.

The talks will be held on the basis of Madrid principles of resolution
of the conflict. In November 2007, co-chairmen of OSCE Minsk Group
presented basic principles of the peaceful resolution of
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to the presidents of Armenia and
Azerbaijan. The co-chairmen believe that the ` Madrid proposals’ are
fair and balanced.

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.

Khazar Ibrahim, spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan also
did not also rule the possibility of holding talks in Moscow.