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OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs on settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to visit region on Oct. 1

Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict Materials 29 September 2009 13:56 (UTC +04:00)

The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs on settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will visit Yerevan on Oct.1, Andrzej Kasprzyk, Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office said at the Tavush settlement of Armenia, Novosti-Armenia reported. 

Kasprzyk took part in the monitoring of the Armenian-Azerbaijani line of contact on Sept. 29.

According to Kasprzyk, the co-chairs will also visit Khankandi and Baku.

Kasprzyk said that the aim of the co-chairs' visit is to prepare the next meeting of the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliyev.

The ongoing negotiations require tranquility and any shooting, firing (on the contact line), even not to mention the losses, may affect the atmosphere of negotiations, the diplomat added.

"I believe the leadership gave instructions to refrain from shooting and the return fire, even if there is any action by the enemy," Kasprzyk said, adding that the intensification of negotiations may help to calm the situation along the contact line.

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.

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