Azerbaijan, Baku, July 8 / Trend S. Agayeva /
Azerbaijan has urged the OSCE head to intensify the activity of the Minsk Group, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov told media today after a meeting with OSCE Chairman and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara.
According to him, the sides had deep discussions over the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
"As OSCE chairman, Ukraine constantly pays attention to this issue," Mammadyarov said. "More frequent meetings of the co-chairmen may help resolve the conflict."
"I informed the counterpart about the negotiations," he said. "We are planning another meeting with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen in the near future. At present, the main problem is the presence of Armenian troops in the territory of Azerbaijan. They must be withdrawn."
"Azerbaijan adheres to the peaceful settlement of the conflict on the basis of the Madrid principles," Mammadyarov said. "Of course, the country is waiting for work on a major peace agreement on the conflict settlement to be rapidly launched."
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 per cent 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 U.S. are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented four U.N. Security Council resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.