Key West Peace Talks on Nagorno-Karabakh

These talks are sponsored by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and will be mediated by expert negotiating teams from the United States, Russia, and France -- the three Co-Chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group. Ambassador Carey Cavanaugh, Special Negotiator for Nagorno-Karabakh, will lead the U.S. team.

Presidents Aliyev and Kocharian started a direct dialogue in 1999 and have met over a dozen times since in an effort to bring peace and stability to the South Caucasus. Their most recent encounters were January 26-27 and March 4-5 in Paris where they met alone and with French President Jacques Chirac. These talks in Key West are a continuation of their direct dialogue and President Chirac's recent work. Our hope is that the U.S., France, and Russia -- working directly with the two Presidents -- can increase the potential for finding a solution to this conflict.

Assisting the parties to find a peaceful settlement to this conflict is a major U.S. priority. The active phase of the conflict lasted from 1988-1994, claimed over 35,000 lives, and displaced over one million people. Despite the cease-fire that has been in place since 1994, hundreds of people are killed each year along the Line of Contact by sniper fire and landmines. The unresolved conflict remains a major impediment to stability and prosperity in this vital region.

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