Kazakhstan, Astana, Nov. 29 / Trend A.Maratov /
The upcoming Astana summit will give momentum to the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, head of the OSCE Conflict Prevention Center, Ambassador Herbert Salber said today.
"It is unrealistic to expect to resolve the issue during the summit, but we expect to establish a positive atmosphere for improving relations," Salber said at a news conference in Astana.
The OSCE summit will be held in Astana on Dec. 1-2 and will bring together the presidents and prime ministers of 56 OSCE member countries and 12 OSCE partner countries, as well as the heads of 68 international organizations.
He added that the conflicting parties must decide on the issue themselves and "on our part, we can only help."
"We need a realistic attitude toward the conflict, which has deep roots and a 20-year history," Salber said.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict cannot last long, he stressed, and the sides should come to a decision on the basis of a compromise.
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 seven surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the United States - are currently holding the peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.