Baku, Azerbaijan, July 7
Trend:
Despite objections of the Armenian delegation, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly has adopted another important proposal of the assembly’s Vice President Azay Guliyev.
A draft resolution on enhancing mutual trust and cooperation for peace and prosperity in the OSCE region was discussed at a meeting of the OSCE PA General Committee on Political Affairs and Security held July 7 in Minsk.
According to the amendment introduced to paragraph 24 of the resolution at the suggestion of Azay Guliyev, the OSCE PA, speaking with deep regret at the lack of progress in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, urges the parties to immediately start substantive negotiations on finding a lasting solution to the conflict as soon as possible, and calls on the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs to double efforts to this end.
In his speech, Guliyev noted that this year marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the OSCE Minsk Group, but it is regrettable that this institution has not yet achieved any results.
OSCE PA Annual Session will continue its work until July 9.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.