Azerbaijan, Baku, 14 February / Trend corr. K.Ramazanova / The priority of OSCE in 2008 will be the settlement of the delayed conflicts in Azerbaijan, Georgia and Moldova, Ilkka Kanereva, OSCE acting-chairman in Washington and Finland Foreign Minister, stated during the meeting of US Commission in Helsinki on 13 February
Three unsettled frozen conflicts remain: Nagorno-Karabakh, Georgian-Abkhaz and Georgian-Osetia, on the territory of CIS countries.
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.
Kanereva added that he would pay a visit to the South Caucasus at the end of February. Within the framework of the visit he would discuss with the Presidents of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia, ways of settling the conflicts in the region.
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