Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 8
By Elchin Mehdiyev – Trend:
The issue on settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict may be discussed at regular sessions of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA), OSCE PA President Christine Muttonen told reporters in Baku Sept. 8.
The OSCE PA is a good platform for discussing existing conflicts in the OSCE area, said Muttonen.
Parliamentarians from various member countries regularly raise issues concerning their countries at the organization, she noted.
“Undoubtedly, we expect the issue of the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to be included in the OSCE PA agenda,” added Muttonen.
According to her, OSCE PA Rapporteur Kristian Vigenin is actively towards restoring peace and stability in the region.
“We, together with our Azerbaijani partners, are working to restore stability in the region and in the interests of people’s well-being,” said OSCE PA president.
There is good cooperation between Azerbaijan and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, and the organization is interested in its further development, noted Muttonen.
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.