A conference titled 'The Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict: main obstacles and prospects of the settlement. View from Armenia and Azerbaijan' has kicked off in Baku.

The event was opened by President of the Azerbaijan National NGO Forum Rauf Zeyni, who said that the conference plays a crucial role in the conflict’s settlement and is held for the first time during the conflict’s history.

Azerbaijan has repeatedly stated its commitment to the peace process, Zeyni said, expressing confidence that the two peoples want to compromise for the sake of peace in the region.

This conference is the first step towards peace, he noted.

The event is attended by famous Armenian human rights activist Vage Avetyan, Azerbaijani professor Kamil Salimov, political scientist Rasim Aghayev, the head of the Intra-national Liberation Movement Organization Vahan Martirosyan, who asked for political asylum in Azerbaijan, Trend reports.

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% of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US, are currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council's four resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.