Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb. 6 / Trend , E.Tariverdiyeva/
The OSCE Minsk Group Russian, French and U.S. co-chairs will discuss steps to resolve the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict.
The co-chairs will visit the region in late February or early March to continue consultations with both countries' governments, OSCE Minsk Group U.S. Co-Chair Matthew Bryza wrote Trend in an email on Feb. 6.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 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 the peace negotiations.
The co-chairs will discuss steps to resolve the conflict following the meeting between the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents in Zurich on Jan. 28.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sargsyan made progress in agreeing on key elements of the basic principles, Bryza told Trend after the meeting.
"The meeting was positive and constructive. The presidents made progress in solidifying their mutual understanding on several key elements of the basic principles and in narrowing differences on some other issues," Bryza said.
Recent talks between the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents in Zurich showed that some progress has been made in resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
"Nevertheless, there are still differences on the issue," Azerbaijani Presidential Administration International Relations Department Chief Novruz Mammadov told Trend on Feb. 4.
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