OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier said that settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict depends on political will of the conflict sides.

Zannier made the remarks during the OSCE Ministerial Council meeting December 8.

The organization’s aim is to provide opportunities for negotiations, he said, but each of the parties should take advantage of these opportunities.

The conflict sides need to make efforts to find a solution, noted the OSCE secretary general.

He also welcomed OSCE’s mediatory role in the conflict.

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 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

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