OSCE Chairman-in-Office to visit Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia

PanARMENIAN.Net -
OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Secretary of State - Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Kanat Saudabayev has scheduled an introductory visit to Caucasus region.



On February 15-18, Kanat Saudabayev will visit Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia to meet with local leaders.



The visit aims at discussion of solutions to Karabakh and South Ossetia conflicts.



The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan broke out in 1988 as result of the ethnic cleansing the latter launched in the final years of the Soviet Union. The Karabakh War was fought from 1991 to 1994. Since the ceasefire in 1994, sealed by Armenia, NKR and Azerbaijan, most of Nagorno Karabakh and several regions of Azerbaijan around it (the security zone) remain under the control of NKR defense army. Armenia and Azerbaijan are holding peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group up till now.



The 2008 South Ossetia War, also known as the Russia–Georgia War, was an armed conflict in August of 2008 between Georgia on one side, and Russia, South Ossetia and Abkhazia on the other.



The 1991–1992 South Ossetia War between Georgians and Ossetians left most of South Ossetia under de-facto control of a Russian-backed internationally unrecognised government. Some ethnic Georgian-inhabited parts of South Ossetia remained under the control of Georgia. A similar situation existed in Abkhazia after the War in Abkhazia (1992–1993). The increasing tensions escalated during the summer months of 2008. On 5 August, Russia vowed to defend South Ossetia.



During the night of 7 to 8 August 2008, Georgia launched a large-scale military attack against South Ossetia, in an attempt to reconquer the territory. The following day Russia reacted by deploying combat troops in South Ossetia and launching bombing raids deep into Georgia. Russian and Ossetian soldiers clashed with Georgian soldiers in the four-day Battle of Tskhinvali, the main battle of the war. On August 9th, Russian naval forces blockaded a part of the Georgian coast and landed marines on the Abkhaz coast. Russian and Abkhaz forces opened a second front by attacking the Kodori Gorge, held by Georgia and entered western parts of Georgia's interior. After five days of heavy fighting, the Georgian forces were routed, enabling the Russians to enter uncontested Georgia and occupy the cities of Poti, Gori, Senaki, and Zugdidi.



After mediation by the French presidency of the European Union, the parties reached a preliminary ceasefire agreement on 12 August, signed by Georgia on 15 August in Tbilisi and by Russia on 16 August in Moscow. On 12 August, President Medvedev had already ordered a halt to Russian military operations, but fighting did not stop immediately. After signing the ceasefire agreement, Russia pulled most of its troops out of uncontested Georgia, but established buffer zones around Abkhazia and South Ossetia and also created check-points in Georgia's interior, (Poti, Senaki, Perevi).



On 26 August 2008 Russia recognised the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Russia completed its withdrawal from uncontested Georgia on 8 October, but as of 2009[update] Russian forces remain stationed in Abkhazia and South Ossetia under bilateral agreements with the corresponding governments. However, according to a number of European and US sources, Russia has not fully complied with the peace agreement because Georgia lost control of some of its territories.



A number of incidents occurred in both conflict zones in the months after the war ended. As of 2010, tensions between the belligerents remain high.



The OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) is the world's largest regional security organization whose 56 participating States span the geographical area from Vancouver to Vladivostok.



The OSCE is a primary instrument for early warning, conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict rehabilitation in its area. It has 19 missions or field operations in South-Eastern Europe, Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia.



On January 30, 1992, Armenia was accepted as OSCE member.