Details were added after second paragraph (first version was posted at 19:50)
Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb. 11 /Trend, E.Ostapenko/
The time has arrived for decisive action on behalf of peace to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs said as a result of visit to Baku and Yerevan on Feb. 8-11.
The Co-chairs believe there has been positive movement as a result of the work that has been done since the October 2010 Astrakhan Summit, the OSCE report said.
In that context, they urged the sides to make further progress to allow the peace process to proceed to its next phase. The co-chairs pledged their support for the sides as they make the necessary decisions to reach a peaceful settlement.
To promote a climate conducive to peace, the co-chairs again urged the sides to show restraint both on the ground and in their public statements.
The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs (ambassadors Bernard Fassier of France, Robert Bradtke of the United States, and Igor Popov of the Russian Federation) and the personal representative of the OSCE Chairpersonn-in-Office, ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk visited Azerbaijan and Armenia on Feb 8-11.
In Baku and Yerevan, the co-chairs held discussions with presidents, foreign ministers and defense ministers of both countries.
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 7 surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. - 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.