ROMANIA NOT TO RECOGNIZE INDEPENDENCE OF NAGORNO KARABAKH
People’s Daily Online, China
July 21 2007
Romania does not recognize the independence of Nagorno Karabah nor
the legitimacy of " presidential elections" held on July 19 in that
region, the Foreign Ministry (MAE) said in a press release on Friday.
The "presidential elections" should have no influence on the peaceful
settlement of the conflict in the Azerbaijani region, the MAE said,
stressing that the refugees should be allowed to get back to their
homes in safety and dignity in order to be able to attend the
elections.
MAE reaffirms its firm support for the Minsk Group and its co-
presidents to be able to solve the conflict in Nagorno Karabah and
encourages the sides to do more and find a negotiated solution.
Nagorno Karabakh is a region in Azerbaijan with the majority of the
population being Armenians. Armed conflict broke out in the early
1990s between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the region’s status after it
declared independence, which was not recognized by the international
community except Armenia.
A ceasefire deal was reached in 1994 after mediation by the Minsk
Group, set up by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe (OSCE). However, disputes still remain between Armenia and
Azerbaijan on the status of Nagorno Karabakh.