Azerbaijan draws attention of OSCE PA session to Karabakh conflict

Azerbaijani delegation has expressed concern about the current situation on the ArmeniaAzerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict at the autumn session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (PA) held in Bishkek on October 8-12.

Ameeting between Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and his Armenian counterpart Zohrab Mnatsakanyan is scheduled for the end of 2018, spokesperson of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Leyla Abdullayeva told Trend.

"As the statement of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs said, after the meeting of the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers with the participation of the co-chairs at the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly in New York on Sept. 26, the co-chairs' visit to the region and the foreign ministers' meeting are expected until the end of 2018," she said.

Abdullaeva noted that the details of the meeting of foreign ministers are coordinated through diplomatic channels.

The last meeting between the foreign ministers was held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly 73rd sessionin New-Yorkwith the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs.

Before that, the talks between the two parties took place in Brussels on July 11 under the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs Igor Popov of Russia, Stephane Visconti of France and Andrew Schofer of the U.S. The meeting was also attended by the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk. It is noteworthy that this was Mammadyarov’s first meeting with the new Armenian FM.

During this meeting, the ministers exchanged views regarding the situation on the ground and discussed next steps and parameters for re-engaging in substantive negotiations.

The two countries fought a lengthy war that ended with signing a fragile ceasefire in 1994. Since the war, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including NagornoKarabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.

While the OSCE Minsk Group acted as the only mediator in resolution of the conflict, the occupation of the territory of the sovereign state with its internationally recognized boundaries has been left out of due attention of the international community for years.

Negotiations for a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict are still underway within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group. Azerbaijan insists on maintaining its territorial integrity, Armenia defends the interests of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. Until now, Armenia ignores four UN Security Council resolutions on immediate withdrawal from the occupied territory of Azerbaijan, thus keeping tension high in the region.