UN Secretary-General concerned about unresolved Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has expressed concern that the sides of the Nagorno - Karabakh conflict have not reached a peace settlement yet and the tension is still growing.

Ban Ki-moon made this statement as part of the PACE summer session.

He said that the military solution to the conflict will be devastating not only for the sides of the conflict, but also for the entire region.

"I hope that the OSCE Minsk Group will help the sides reach a constructive and peaceful solution to the conflict," he said.

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 two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.

/By Trend/