Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 2
Trend:
Italy would continue strengthening the OSCE’s work to address protracted conflicts through the existing formats.
Italy’s Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano said in his article posted on the OSCE website on the Italian 2018 OSCE Chairmanship priorities.
He said that Italy would continue the work of the OSCE Minsk Group and the efforts of its three Co-Chairs in resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.