AZERBAIJANI RULING PARTY: NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT MAY BE RESOLVED PEACEFULLY
Trend
Jan 11 2012
Azerbaijan
The opportunity of resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict peacefully
still remains, deputy chairman, executive secretary of the “New
Azerbaijan” party Ali Ahmadov told media today in connection with
the meeting of the Azerbaijani and Armenian Presidents, to be held
in Sochi.
“We expect Armenia to end its non-constructive position during these
talks and make a decision on an equitable settlement of the conflict
at the negotiating table,” he said.
He said that not only the Azerbaijani society, but also ordinary
people in Armenia who live in conditions of economic restrictions
and demographic disaster wait for this decision.
“Armenian ordinary people are also held hostage by wrong policy
conducted by the Armenian leadership,” he said. “We think that Armenian
political figures will understand this and will be able to take steps
that require courage to resolve the conflict. We expect this.”
He said that the main direction of the Azerbaijani policy in this
issue is the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict peacefully.
Despite the fact that negotiations continue for a long time, their
potential is not exhausted.
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.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.