Azerbaijan, Baku, 20 February / Trend corr. K.Ramazanova / There is a need to settle the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as soon as possible, Sam Brownback, the US Senator-Republican, stated in Baku on 20 February.
"The settlement of the conflict will provide stability in the region," Brownback stated delivering a speech in front of the students of the Azerbaijani Diplomatic Academy. He noted that recognition of the independence of Kosovo cannot be considered as a precedent for the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus began in 1988, due to the Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since 1992, the Armenian Armed Forces have occupied 20% of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven neighbouring districts. In 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement which ended the active hostilities. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group ( Russia, France, and the US) are currently holding the peaceful negotiations.