Azerbaijan, Baku, Oct.22 / Trend S. Agayeva /
Signing a framework agreement on Nagorno-Karabakh is not expected at the OSCE summit in Astana, the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said today in his speech at the opening of the symposium on international relations on the topic "South Caucasus in a Changing World" in Baku.
"At present, we are not working on preparation of such a document," he said.
Today's agenda includes issues on defining the format of talks to be held in Astana on the conflict resolution, he said.
According to Mammadyarov, in the near future the Minsk Group co-chairs will visit the region and provide the sides with a report on the OSCE Assessment Mission's activity.
"Compared to the first mission, which took place in the region in 2005, this time mediators and members of the mission visited the seven occupied regions. We are waiting for the assessment mission's report to give conclusion on their activity," he said.
The OSCE Assessment Mission examines the situation in the occupied territory of Azerbaijan on Azerbaijan's initiative. During their most recent visit the co-chairs visited these areas and familiarized themselves with the situation. The mediators are expected to prepare a report on the current situation in the occupied lands.
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 and the surrounding regions.
"The South Caucasus in a Changing World" Annual Symposium of International Relations Scholars is running in Baku from Oct. 22 to 23.
By enhancing regional cooperation and networking, the Symposium aims to contribute to the growing community of scholars in Azerbaijan and the region who are interested in regional politics, economics and international relationships.
The symposium is attended by over 150 foreign and local experts.
The symposium will discuss the topics such as "Global challenges in the regional context," "Problems of regional security - conflict and post-conflict development", "The emerging economic trends in the South Caucasus - the development of information technology and energy" and "Foreign Policy in the Caucasus: strategies and choices".
It is planned to publish a book including papers delivered at the Symposium by participant-scholars. Publication will be distributed to the scientific and think tanks around the world.