RUSSIAN CO-CHAIR OF OSCE MINSK GROUP YURI MERZLYAKOV FORMALLY HANDS OVER HIS POST TO IGOR POPOV
A.Alasgarov

Trend
May 6 2010
Azerbaijan

The regular quarterly meeting of the OSCE Minsk Group took place
Wednesday in Vienna. The meeting was closed to the press.

At the briefing, the Chairmen of the Group informed the representatives
of the co-chairing countries of the negotiating process to resolve
the Karabakh conflict and the future steps.

At a Vienna meeting, the Russian co-chair of OSCE Minsk Group Yuri
Merzlyakov formally handed over his post to Igor Popov.

The conflict between the two countries of South Caucasus began in
1988 due to Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan.

Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent districts – 20 percent of
Azerbaijan’s territory – are under occupation by the armed forces
of Armenia.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994.

The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the U.S. –
are currently holding the peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s resolutions
on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and the occupied
territories.