OSCE Minsk Group considers visiting region
By Rashid Shirinov
The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, established for peaceful resolution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, are closely negotiating to determine the most appropriate time for visiting the region.
Interim U.S. co chair Richard Hoagland announced about this while talking to APA. Hoagland, a diplomat with over 30 years of experience, replaced James Warlick, who stepped down on December 31.
Noting that he is honored to be a co-chair of the OSCE MG, Hoagland said that he had carefully studied the Nagorno-Karabakh issue in the course of his career, most of which he spent on the area of former Soviet Union.
“I know that the resolution of this conflict is possible through the political will of all parties involved,” the co-chair said.
Hoagland also voiced intention to work closely with his fellow co-chairs to encourage the parties to actively participate in the conflict resolution process.
While the OSCE Minsk Group acts as the only mediator in resolution of the conflict, it failed to make any move to achieve a breakthrough in the peace process so far.
Azerbaijan and Armenia for over two decades have been locked in conflict, which emerged over Armenian territorial claims. Since the 1990s war, Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions. The UN Security Council has adopted four resolutions on Armenian withdrawal, but they have not been enforced to this day.
---
Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov
Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz