Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec.5
By Elmira Tariverdiyeva - Trend:
OSCE member states believe that political will is necessary for solving conflicts within the organization, British State Minister for European Affairs David Lidington said on Dec.5.
The minister made the note in Kiev, speaking at the meeting of OSCE Ministerial Council.
"Political will is necessary for taking real steps in resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, as well as other territorial disputes in OSCE space," Lidington said.
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 the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.