The situation in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict causes major concern, the situation that has developed today on the Azerbaijani and Armenian troops’ contact line is explosive, says the OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier.
He made the remarks Oct. 12 at a press conference in Moscow, the Russia 24 TV channel reported.
“This is a time when the international community should draw attention to the need to resolve this situation,” he said.
Zannier added that the OSCE’s Minsk Group for the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will be able to organize a meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents.
“We have a special group that monitors the region, but that is not a permanent group, it is assembled when it is necessary,” said Zannier. “We have developed a set of principles to ease the situation, so that both sides could contribute to the resolution of this issue.”
Zannier also noted that the dynamics of developments causes worries.
“I believe a time has come for political initiatives to resolve this matter,” he said.
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 two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council’s four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.
Edited by SI
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