Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb. 27 /Trend, E.Mehdiyev/
The International Crisis Group calls upon the international community, in particular the co-chairs of the Minsk Group (France, Russia, U.S.) to facilitate efforts to reach a comprehensive peace on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
In its report, the International Crisis Group urges to facilitate the creation of an incident investigation mechanism, including the operation of a hotline between the sides to discuss ceasefire breaches, and otherwise protect the civilian population living near the LoC.
The International Crisis Group also calls on to develop more on-the-ground CBMs to create an atmosphere of trust, including promoting civil society meetings between the ethnic Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh and Azeri population expelled from Nagorno-Karabakh and the occupied territories.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 per cent 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 U.S. - are currently holding 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.