Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec. 2 / Trend /
The OSCE Minsk Group should accelerate talks on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the OSCE's future chairman, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Audronius Azubalis said this week.
"The OSCE Minsk Group should accelerate the pace of talks, within which a political resolution is underway," he said.
Azubalis added that the OSCE should play an important role in contributing to mutual understanding and tolerance among the conflict parties.
"I am sure that every chairman wants to offer a solution to so-called protracted conflicts," he said. "During the Corfu talks, many states gave convincing reasons to vest the presidency and the Center for Conflict Prevention with greater freedom and early warning tools for preventing crisis and conflict at the initial stage."
According to Azubalis, the chairman's job is to put words into action.
"In addition, it is expected that the chairman will act quickly, consult with key sides and mobilize political, financial and other available tools for conflict resolution," he added.
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. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the United States - are currently holding the peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding regions.