The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Igor Popov (Russia), Bernard Fassier (France) and Robert Bradtke (United States) on Wednesday met with members of the group in the Austrian capital Vienna, says a statement issued by the co-chairs.
They briefed the Minsk Group on recent developments in negotiations on the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, including: discussions held in St. Petersburg June 17, 2010 by the presidents of the Russian Federation, Armenia, and Azerbaijan; the meeting of the Heads of Delegation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries with the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia July 17, 2010; and the joint statements issued by the Minsk Group Co-Chair countries in Muskoka and Almaty.
The Co-Chairs stressed that the efforts made so far by the sides of the conflict have not been sufficient to overcome their differences, and that additional actions are needed to reinforce the ceasefire and demonstrate a spirit of compromise.
To assist the parties in their efforts, the Co-Chairs plan to visit the region in early September, says the statement.
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.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and the occupied territories.