Azerbaijan, Baku / Trend corr. К.Ramazanova / Matthew Bryza, the United States Deputy Assistant Secretary of State of the OSCE Minsk Group expects signing of an oral agreement between the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia before the presidential elections in the both countries. "There would not be a treaty before the elections. However, we are waiting for an oral agreement between the Presidents of the states," Bryza said in the Baku airport on 13 January answering to journalists questions.
Bryza touched upon the Kosovo and Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts, he said that there was not any connection between the both conflicts.
The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus began in 1988, due to the Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since 1992, the Armenian Armed Forces have occupied 20% of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven neighbouring districts. In 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement which ended the active hostilities. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group ( Russia, France, and the US) are currently holding the peaceful negotiations.