Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 23

By Leman Zeynalova - Trend:

Optimism in the settlement process of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has intensified, Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said during the PACE winter session in Strasbourg (France), answering a question from the chairman of the Azerbaijani parliamentary committee on culture Rafael Huseynov, Trend reports on Jan. 23.

As for the OSCE Minsk Group, Finland fully supports the process that is ongoing, the Finnish president said, adding that optimism at the current stagehas intensified.

There are hopes that a solution will emerge that meets the best interests of Azerbaijan and Armenia, the president noted.

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.