03-09-2010 09:39:57

OSCE mediators to visit the region next week

BAKU – OSCE mediators brokering settlement to the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Upper (Nagorno) Karabakh and the personal representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Andrzej Kasprzyk, are due to visit the region next week.

The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Igor Popov of Russia, Bernard Fassier of France, and Robert Bradtke of the United States – will begin their visit in Baku next Tuesday. The co-chairs will head to Nagorno Karabakh the following day and visit the Armenian capital Yerevan a day later.

The main purpose of the visit is to visit the Armenia-occupied territories of Azerbaijan and discuss details related to setting up a fact-finding mission to be delegated to the conflict zone.

Upon Azerbaijan’s request, a mission will be established to scrutinize the illegal settlements in Nagorno Karabakh and adjacent regions. The mission, which will include the Minsk Group co-chairs, will head to the region in September.

20 percent of Azerbaijan’s territory has been under Armenian occupation for nearly two decades. Defying international law, the separatist regime in Nagorno Karabakh declared so-called independence in 1991, which has not been recognized by the world community.

TAGS: Azerbaijan, Baku, OSCE, Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, Upper Karabakh, OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Andrzej Kasprzyk, Minsk Group, Igor Popov, Russia, Bernard Fassier, France, Robert Bradtke, United States, Yerevan