Newly appointed OSCE MG Russian Co-Chair visits AzerbaijanApril 20, 2010 - 16:23 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The newly appointed Russian Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, Ambassador Igor Popov arrived in Baku on April 20, accompanied by former Co-chair Yuri Merzlyakov, APA news agency reported. “Currently, intensified talks are held to resolve the Karabakh conflict. As a Co-Chair, I will contribute to the process, taking up my activity from the point, where my predecessor has stopped. Russia’s stance on this conflict is known and remains unchangeable. It is important to maintain the pace of negotiations,” Amb. Popov noted. U.S. Co-Chair, Ambassador Robert Bradtke will arrive in Azerbaijan this afternoon, while Bernard Fassier of France will not join his counterparts this time. Igor Popov was born in 1954. He is a graduate of Moscow State Institute of Foreign Relations. In 2000, he was appointed Deputy Director of the CIS Countries First Department. He holds the rank of extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador of 2nd category. On July 15, 2005, he was appointed Russia’s Ambassador to Mozambique, under Russian President’s decree. Since 2006, he has been Russia’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Swaziland concurrently. The OSCE Minsk Group The OSCE Minsk Group was created in 1992 to encourage a peaceful, negotiated resolution to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. The Minsk Group is headed by a Co-Chairmanship consisting of France, Russia and the United States. The main objectives of the Minsk Process are as follows: Providing an appropriate framework for conflict resolution in the way of assuring the negotiation process supported by the Minsk Group; Obtaining conclusion by the Parties of an agreement on the cessation of the armed conflict in order to permit the convening of the Minsk Conference; Promoting the peace process by deploying OSCE multinational peacekeeping forces. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Lemkin Institute petition seeks release of Armenians in Azerbaijan The Lemkin Institute is deeply concerned about the continued illegal detention of political prisoners from Karabakh in Azerbaijan. Armenian Catholicos calls for national unity against threats Karekin II issued a message on Republic Day marking the anniversary of the First Armenian Republic. Pashinyan: Armenia’s desired goal is “on the horizon” Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said that Armenia is moving forward “without interruption”. Opposition leader, supporters spend night at Sardarapat memorial Police made nearly 300 arrests the day before as Galstanyan and his supporters continued to demonstrate in Yerevan. |