OSCE Minsk Group to visit South Caucasus in summer

The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs will visit the South Caucasus region in June or early July, the US co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Richard Hoagland, said, speaking in Washington at the conference entitled 'The International Politics of the Armenian-Azerbaijani 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% 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 withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.