Azerbaijan, Baku, 31 July / Trend corr. R.Novruzov/ EU Special Representative say it would be expedient to continue the negotiations on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict on the basis of basic principles. EU Special Representative for South Caucasus Peter Semneby discussed in Baku on 31 July with Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov the ways to settle Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
"We discussed the upcoming meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian Foreign Ministers to take place in Moscow on 1 August and agreed that the negotiations must base on basic principles," Semneby said to journalists after the meeting.
The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus began in 1988 due to Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since 1992, Armenian Armed Forces have occupied 20% of Azerbaijan including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven surrounding districts. In 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which time the active hostilities ended. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Russia, France, and the US) are currently holding peaceful negotiations.
The work over settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, suggested by both countries' presidents in St. Petersburg in June, will be the basis for negotiations between Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers in Moscow at the beginning of August.
Negotiations on peace settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will be based on Madrid proposals, French co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Bernard Fassier said to Trend previously.
In November, 2007, OSCE Minsk Group's co-chairs presented in Madrid the basic principles of peace settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents. Co-chairs believe the Madrid proposals are just and balanced.
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