Azerbaijan, Baku, July 1 / Trend, S. Agayeva /
Switzerland intends to pay great attention to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict during its chairmanship of the OSCE, chairman of the upper house of the Swiss parliament Filippo Lombardi told journalists in Baku today after a meeting with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.
"Next year, Switzerland will chair the OSCE, while Azerbaijan chairs the Council of Europe," he said. "I discussed the interaction between our two countries during the talks with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister."
In general, he appreciated the relations between the two countries and stressed that they are constantly developing.
He added that Azerbaijani Foreign Minister's visit to Switzerland in October and Swiss Foreign Minister's visit to Baku, the terms of which is being specified, may contribute to their strengthening.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict which has not been unresolved during the negotiations held for more than 20 years is very regrettable and is a failure, he said.
"If Switzerland succeeds in breaking the deadlock during its upcoming chairmanship in the OSCE, we will be glad," he said.
Switzerland also welcomes Azerbaijan's decision to transit its gas to Europe, he said.
"We have also discussed the development of economic cooperation between the two countries, including in the energy sector," he said.
The conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia 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.