AZERBAIJANI MINISTRY: SO-CALLED “ELECTIONS” IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH AIMED AT ANNEXATION OF TERRITORIES OCCUPIED BY ARMENIA
Trend
July 18 2012
Azerbaijan
The so-called “elections” in Nagorno-Karabakh are organized in order to
camouflage the policy of Armenia aimed at annexation of the occupied
territories and to promote the results of the continued occupation
of the Azerbaijani territories, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry
said today.
The so-called “presidential elections” are being arranged to take
place in the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of the Republic of
Azerbaijan on July 19, 2012.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan
reiterates in this regard that the Republic of Armenia, having occupied
the Azerbaijani territories and conducted ethnic cleansing against
local Azerbaijani population, has established illegal authorities in
the occupied territories.
Such action, in absence of the original Azerbaijani population of
the Nagorno-Karabakh region and without necessary authorization
of respective structures of the Republic of Azerbaijan, gravely
violates the relevant provisions of the Constitution of the Republic
of Azerbaijan and the norms and principles of international law and,
therefore shall have no legal effect whatsoever.
Holding legitimate elections will be possible after the withdrawal of
the Armenian occupying forces, normalization of life in the region,
return of expelled Azerbaijani population and creation of necessary
conditions for restoration of the dialogue and cooperation between the
Armenian and Azerbaijani communities of the Nagorno-Karabakh region
of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said.
The Republic of Azerbaijan calls upon the Armenian side instead of
its destructive illegal steps, which does not have any prospects,
to withdraw its Armed Forces from the Azerbaijani territories, thus
opening prospects for sustainable peace, security and development of
the entire region.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven 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 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.