Washington/12.10.17/Turan: The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, announced the following briefing ON October 18:
"Averting all-out war in Nagorno-Karabakh: The role of the U.S.and OSCE" to be held at Russell Senate Office Building Room 188, says the Commission press-release.
Last year, the conflict surrounding the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region in the South Caucasus saw its worst outbreak of violence in more than two decades. The so-called Four Day War in April 2016 claimed approximately 200 lives and demonstrated that the dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh, which has persisted in a state of no-war/no-peace since a 1994 ceasefire, is not a "frozen" conflict at all. Instead, the Line of Contact separating the parties sees numerous ceasefire violations annually. Each one risks igniting a larger-scale conflict that could draw in major regional players, such as Russia, Turkey, and Iran.
Since 1997, the United States, France, and Russia have co-chaired the Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the principal international mechanism aimed at reaching a negotiated solution to the conflict. The fragility of the Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire underscores the importance of United States engagement in the Minsk Group process.
The U.S. Helsinki Commission will host two former United States Co-Chairs of the Minsk Group process as well as a renowned independent expert on the conflict to assess the current state of the dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh, the Minsk Group format, and the prospects for achieving a lasting peace.
Ambassador Carey Cavanaugh, Professor of Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution, University of Kentucky; Former U.S. Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group (1999-2001).
Magdalena Grono, Europe & Central Asia Program Director, International Crisis Group.
Ambassador James Warlick, Partner and Senior Policy Advisor, Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partners; Former U.S. Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group (2013-2016).-02D-
Politics
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At the meeting of the heads of security services of the CIS countries held in Moscow on 26 November, 'the issues of cooperation of special services to ensure security of the CIS countries in the face of ‘multifaceted efforts of the West aimed at destabilising the situation in the CIS space’ were discussed.
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This year marks a significant milestone in Azerbaijan's relationship with NATO: the 30th anniversary of joining the "Partnership for Peace" (PfP) program. A commemorative conference in Baku on November 26 brought together prominent figures to reflect on the journey of cooperation, highlighting both achievements and challenges while charting a course for the future.
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On 26 November, a US- mediated ceasefire agreement was reached between Israel and 'Hezbollah' on the border between Lebanon and Israel. It came into force last night.
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The United States highly appreciates Azerbaijan's active role in the Partnership for Peace (PfP) programme and country's continued commitment to cooperation with the Alliance, the US Embassy said in a statement on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Azerbaijan's joining the PfP.
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