YEREVAN, February 26. /ARKA/. The Armenian National Assembly’s defense and security committee will hold hearings on Karabakh conflict settlement soon, Zhoghovurd reports. 

According to the newspaper, ways to involve Artsakh into the talks will be discussed. 

Andranik Kocharyan, an MP from My Step faction, refrained from commenting on the matter. He only told the newspaper correspondent that the matter is being discussed “in our country’s interest and for enhancing and strengthening its defense ability – everything is being done for that”. 

Karabakh conflict broke out in 1988 when Karabakh, mainly populated by Armenians, declared its independence from Azerbaijan.

On December 10, 1991, a few days after the collapse of the Soviet Union, a referendum took place in Nagorno-Karabakh, and the majority of the population (99.89%) voted for secession from Azerbaijan. 
Afterwards, large-scale military operations began. As a result, Azerbaijan lost control over Nagorno-Karabakh and the seven regions adjacent to it.

Some 30,000 people were killed in this war and about one million people fled their homes.  
On May 12, 1994, the Bishkek cease-fire agreement put an end to the military operations.

Тalks brokered by OSCE Minsk Group are being held over peaceful settlement of the conflict. The group is co-chaired by USA, Russia and France. -0–