Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec. 24/ Trend , E. Ostapenko/ OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) hope that there will be progress in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict next year.
"We hope in 2009 we will see progress in this direction," Dora Bakoyannis, new OSCE chairman and Greek foreign minister, said in her interview with Trend .
The OSCE chairman-in-office and Finnish foreign minister Alexander Stubb officially handed over office of the chairman to the Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis at the meeting of the OSCE foreign ministers held in Helsinki on Dec. 4. Greece will start OSCE chairmanship on Jan. 1.
Bakoyannis said Greece believes that frequent meetings between Azerbaijani and Armenian representatives will lead to the establishment of mutual confidence which essential to solve the conflict.
The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus began in 1988 due to Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since 1992, Armenian Armed Forces have occupied 20% of Azerbaijan including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven surrounding districts. In 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which time the active hostilities ended. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Russia, France, and the US) are currently holding peaceful negotiations.
"Greece fully supports these efforts and encourages constructive engagement from both parties, in line with the Statement delivered at the Helsinki Summit earlier this month by the French Foreign Minister on behalf of the European Union," Bakoyannis said.
The last statement by the foreign ministers of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries says the Moscow declaration signed by the sides opens new and promising stage in the general striving to establish peace in the South Caucasus.
The sides confirmed their commitment to achieving resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within the Minsk Group and in line with the Basic Principles elaborated by the co-chairmen through cooperation with the Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders on basis of their proposals made in Madrid last year.
The Moscow Declaration signed by the leaders of Azerbaijan, Russia and Armenia in Moscow on Nov. 2 calls for reinforcing activities of the sides to achieve peace in the region within the OSCE Minsk Group.
"We firmly support the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all States, within their internationally recognized borders," Bakoyannis said.
OSCE also cannot ignore the human pain caused by the current situation. We believe that to help the establishment of security and stability in the region, the thousands of Internally Displaced Persons must return to their homes, she said.
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