Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec.9 / Trend, E. Tariverdiyeva /
A conference on the topic "France - OSCE Minsk Group co-chair and forgotten Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict" was held on Dec.8 in the French Senate, the Azerbaijani Embassy in Paris said.
The event was organized by the Public Union "Azerbaijani community of Nagorno-Karabakh" and the Azerbaijani Embassy.
The conference was opened by member of the Senate Commission for International Affairs Nathalie Goulet, who acted as a moderator.
Goulet thanked the Azerbaijani side for timely and important initiative to hold this event, stressing the need for constant provision of the French public with true information about the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict.
Senator stressed the inadmissibility of the continued occupation of Azerbaijani territories by Armenia, telling about her experience of a visit to the conflict zone and numerous meetings with displaced persons affected by the war.
Azerbaijani Ambassador Elchin Amirbeyov briefed the conference participants about Azerbaijan's official position in the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, stressing special importance of participation of representatives of the Azerbaijani community of Nagorno-Karabakh at the event, which is one of the conflict parties in accordance with the mandate of the Minsk Group. He stressed that, remaining committed to the peace process, Azerbaijan, however, finds it unacceptable to preserve status quo in the conflict zone and considers a phased resolution which envisage immediate elimination of the consequences of the military phase of the conflict, as the only possible effective way to achieve a lasting, just and comprehensive peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Informing the audience about completing his seven-year activity as the OSCE Minsk Group's French co-chair, Ambassador Bernard Fassier went on the details on his country and other co-chairs' efforts to assist the conflict parties to make progress in difficult negotiations. Fassier spoke about the evolution of the negotiation process and difficulties before mediators and conflict parties to achieve significant progress in the negotiations.
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.