Azerbaijan, Baku, June 10 /Trend News, E. Ostapenko/  

Philip Gordon, U.S. Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs, will discuss participation of Barack Obama administration in the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in Baku.  

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. - are currently holding the peace negotiations.

Gordon will visit Azerbaijan on June 11.

During his Baku visit, he will meet with government and civil society representatives to discuss both bilateral and regional issues including energy security, the U.S. embassy said.

He assumed office on May 15, 2009. This is Assistant Secretary Gordon's first visit to the region as Assistant Secretary

Gordon's focus as Assistant Secretary is "to help promote democracy, encourage economic reform, protect national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and resolve the enduring conflicts" in the region.