Azernews.Az

BAKU – The upcoming OSCE summit in Astana will be an incentive to the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorno Karabakh, director of the OSCE Conflict Prevention Center Herbert Salber has said.

The Karabakh issue will be discussed at the summit due in the Kazakh capital December 1-2 to be attended by the heads of state and government from the OSCE’s member states and allied countries. The Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents are due to hold talks on the sidelines of the summit.

Salber said it would be unrealistic to expect a solution of the Nagorno Karabakh dispute at the Astana meeting, but a step forward could be taken in the peace process by outlining a framework agreement on Karabakh settlement.

The conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia began in 1988 due to Armenia’s territorial claims. The two countries fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a cease-fire in 1994. About 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory, including Nagorno Karabakh and seven adjacent regions, is still under the occupation of the Armenian armed forces. Peace talks, brokered by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs the United States, Russia and France, have largely accomplished no result.

The OSCE official said the conflict, which has deep roots and a 20-year-long history, cannot remain unresolved for a long time, and the parties should reach agreement based on compromise.

OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Petros Efthymiou has also expressed confidence that Karabakh settlement will see progress after the Astana summit. He said an effective resolution of protracted conflicts is a key objective facing the forthcoming summit.

"The OSCE could be the only forum that could provide a mechanism for resolving conflicts. And, at this summit, we will support the mutual assistance approach in seeking solutions to the protracted conflicts, including the Nagorno Karabakh problem."