Trend, Azerbaijan
Feb 6 2010
OSCE chairman-in-office: New breath provided to Nagorno-Karabakh process
06.02.2010 14:05
USA, Washington, February 6 /Trend News, N.Bogdanova/
The last meeting between the presidents of Azerbaijan, Armenia and
Russia in Sochi provided new breath to the negotiation process on
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement, said OSCE Chairman-in-Office
Kanat Saudabayev.
"As a country in the region, we have more opportunities to get closer
to the final stage of the Nagorno-Karabakh process, Saudabayev, State
Secretary and Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan told Trend News. We
expect the solution to the conflict to be found before we shift OSCE
chairmanship to the next country. "
This year’s first trilateral meeting between the presidents of
Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Russia Dmitry Medvedev and Armenia Serj
Sargsyan was held in Sochi on Jan. 25 to discuss peaceful settlement
of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
The meeting agreed upon the preamble of the document to resolve the
conflict that arose in 1988 due to Armenian territorial claims against
Azerbaijan. As a result of the conflict, Nagorno-Karabakh and seven
surrounding districts – 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s territory – are
under occupation of Armenian armed forces.
Last year, the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia met six times – in
Munich, Chisinau, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Prague and Zurich. The
meetings in Moscow and St. Petersburg were held in the trilateral
format.
"We will do everything we can to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict, based on the progress made in previous years. The OSCE Minsk
Group has now reached the big breakthrough," said Saudabayev.
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.
Saudabayev stressed that Kazakhstan will use all its unique
capabilities to achieve a breakthrough in the conflict.
This week Saudabayev held talks with U.S. officials in Washington and
took part in the hearing of the Helsinki Commission of the United
States. He said that in the coming weeks he plans to visit South
Caucasus countries.