Azerbaijan, Baku, Nov.16 / Trend, M. Aliyev /
Over 10 OSCE Minsk Group member countries want to be actively involved in resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Deputy Parliamentary Speaker Bahar Muradova told journalists on Wednesday.
"Azerbaijan supports the involvement of these countries in the settlement process," Muradova said.
Expressing her attitude about statements regarding the necessity to remove France's co-chairmanship in the Minsk Group, Muradova said she believes that it is going to happen in the near future. Any change in co-chairmanship format will delay resolution of the Karabakh conflict, Muradova underlined.
"If there are European Union and other international organizations able to influence the negotiation process, they can do it with the participation of France. Its replacement is not important," Muradova said.
She said three co-chair countries gained necessary experience over the past period. "Replacement of one of the co-chairs by the other, which is not familiar with the situation, may cause a problem," Muradova 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 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.