FMs of Russia, France to mull Karabakh conflict

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his French counterpart Jean-Marc Ayrault will discuss the process of settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Mariya Zakharova, spokesperson for Russia’s Foreign Ministry, said on June 23.

Lavrov’s meeting with Ayrault is scheduled for June 29, Zakharova was quoted as saying in a message posted on the website of Russia’s Foreign Ministry.

Russia and France along with the U.S. are the co-chair countries of the OSCE Minsk Group established to mediate a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

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.

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