French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Azerbaijan next week, a diplomatic source in Baku told Sputnik on Friday, adding that the agenda of talks would include the Nagorno-Karabakh issue.
BAKU (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th October, 2018) French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Azerbaijan next week, a diplomatic source in Baku told Sputnik on Friday, adding that the agenda of talks would include the Nagorno-Karabakh issue.
"The visit is expected to take place next week and there will be a discussion of the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," the source said.
During Macron's visit, the sides are also expected to sign a contract on the construction of a patrol ship in Azerbaijan.
The conflict in Armenian-dominated Nagorno-Karabakh started in 1988 with the autonomous region announcing its secession from the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1991, the Armenia-backed region proclaimed independence from Azerbaijan and the creation of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, also known as the Republic of Artsakh. This move triggered a military conflict, which led to Baku losing control over the region.
In 1994, the warring sides agreed to a cessation of hostilities. However, the violence escalated again in 2016, leading to multiple casualties on both sides despite the ceasefire.
The situation in the region is monitored by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group chaired by Russia, the United States and France, within the framework of which negotiations on peace settlement has been conducted since 1992.
