Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 14
Trend:
Germany, as the new chairman of the OSCE and a member of Minsk Group will support efforts of co-chairs to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said.
"We are concerned about the deterioration of situation on the frontline, and the priority of our chairmanship will be a reduction of the escalation of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in the area," 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.
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