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Conflicts in OSCE area threaten European security

Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict Materials 7 December 2016 16:21 (UTC +04:00)
As the world's largest regional security organization, the OSCE has the core task of preventing violent conflict and finding sustainable solutions for existing conflicts in the OSCE area.
Conflicts in OSCE area threaten European security

Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 7

By Anakhanum Hidayatova – Trend:

As the world's largest regional security organization, the OSCE has the core task of preventing violent conflict and finding sustainable solutions for existing conflicts in the OSCE area, said a joint statement by Germany's Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Foreign Ministers of Austria (Sebastian Kurz) and Italy (Paolo Gentiloni) on the occasion of the OSCE Ministerial Council in Hamburg.

“Many crises and conflicts are sending shock waves through our European security architecture today,” said the joint statement published by the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on Dec. 7.

“We thus should further develop our conflict resolution instruments in such a way that we are able to act at all times: in both conflict prevention and mediation, in monitoring and post‑crisis rehabilitation,” said the three countries’ foreign ministers in their article.

The 23rd OSCE Ministerial Council will take place on Dec. 8-9 in Hamburg, Germany. Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov will take part in the meeting.

One of the conflicts in the OSCE area is the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

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.

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