The U.S. Helsinki Commission announced on Wednesday, October 11 it will host two former United States co-chairs of the Minsk Group as well as a renowned independent expert on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict to assess the current state of the dispute, the Minsk Group format, and the prospects for achieving a lasting peace.

Azerbaijan on April 2, 2016 launched a large-scale military offensive against Karabakh which left hundreds dead on both sides. Top Armenian and Azerbaijani officials reached an agreement on the cessation of hostilities on April 5 in Moscow.

In particular, former U.S. co-chairs Carey Cavanaugh andJames Warlick, as well asEurope & Central Asia Program Director at the International Crisis GroupMagdalena Grono will participate in the briefing.

Titled "Averting All-Out War in Nagorno Karabakh: The Role of the U.S. and OSCE," the event is slated for October 18 in Washington.

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.