Situation in Nagorno-Karabakh doesn’t provide way to eliminate conflict - French FM

By  Trend

The current situation and the status quo in Nagorno-Karabakh does not provide a way to eliminate the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, said Jean-Yves Le Drian, the Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, at a press-conference in Baku May 27.

“France, as co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, will make the necessary efforts for a peaceful settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and we believe that it is necessary to improve the work of the OSCE in this regard”, he said.

Jean-Yves Le Drian added that the status of the negotiation process on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was on the agenda of the discussions at the meeting with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.

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.