OSCE Minsk Group official says final status of Nagorno-Karabakh to be determined

The final status of the Nagorno-Karabakh region will be determined in the context of an agreed-upon settlement, James Warlick, co-chairman of the Minsk Group under the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) told local media here on Tuesday.

Commenting on the possible "recognition" of Nagorno-Karabakh's independence by Armenia, Warlick said, "No country recognizes Nagorno-Karabakh. We urge the parties to sit down at the negotiating table to achieve a lasting settlement of the conflict."

On May 5, the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed an initiative to recognize the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh, submitted by two parliamentarians of Armenia's National Assembly.

"The conclusion of the government does not imply an endorsement of that initiative," Armenia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Nagorno-Karabakh is a mountainous enclave with a large ethnic Armenian population that lies inside the territory of Azerbaijan.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked in a bitter dispute over the region since 1988 when the enclave claimed independence from Azerbaijan to join Armenia.

Peace talks have been held since 1994 when a cease-fire brokered by the OSCE Minsk Group was reached, but there have been occasional minor clashes.

Fresh clashes broke out on April 2. Although a cease-fire was reached three days later, the fighting did not end, with Armenia and Azerbaijan accusing each other of violating the truce. Endi