Meeting of the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan in St. Petersburg will help achieve significant progress in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement, British Special Representative for the South Caucasus Brian Foul said to press conference in Yerevan on May 15, Novosti-Armenia reported.
"We agree that both sides are closer to the settlement, and I hope that they will make even greater advancements during the meeting of the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan on June 4 in St. Petersburg. I think that some good news will be announced as a result of the meeting," said Foul.
He noted that all participants in the negotiation process should make efforts to address existing problems between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
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.