Editor's note: Russian MP's statement was added in the article
Kazakhstan, Astana, Nov. 30 / Trend A.Maratov /
The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is meeting in Astana today and is expected to adopt a project on protracted conflicts, First General Political Affairs and Security Committee Vice Chairman Canan Kalsin told Trend.
"The meeting will consider protracted conflicts, including Nagorno Karabakh," she said. "After the discussions, we plan to adopt a draft resolution on protracted conflicts in OSCE member states."
The meeting is taking place on the eve of the OSCE summit scheduled for Dec. 1-2.
OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Petros Efthymiou is leading a delegation that includes representatives of more than 20 member countries.
"Issues of protracted conflicts are very complex, and should be considered step-by-step to restore confidence between the peoples of the conflicting parties," Kalsin said.
One issues to be discussed at the Astana summit is the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. 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 seven surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding regions.
The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the United States - have been holding the peace negotiations since 1994. But, the conflict remains unresolved.
"Work on Nagorno-Karabakh is underway and the most important thing is not to scare both sides of the conflict. Azerbaijanis and Armenians are emotional people, so it is important that everything is solved delicately," OSCE PA Vice-President, Member of the Russian State Duma, Alekasandr Kozlovskiy.
The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is also expected to discuss the assembly's outcome this year, including the participation of MPs in OSCE missions monitoring elections. The current situation in Kyrgyzstan will also be a major issue on the agenda.