FM: ARMENIAN ARMED FORCES MUST BE WITHDRAWN FROM OCCUPIED AZERBAIJANI TERRITORIES
Trend
Dec 11 2012
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov has received a
delegation headed by Deputy Foreign Minister, Swiss Secretary of
State Yves Rocher, the Foreign Ministry said today.
Both sides have expressed satisfaction with their relations and they
stressed the importance of the strengthening of the legal framework
between the two countries.
Elmar Mammadyarov informed the Swiss Secretary of State about regional
energy projects and Azerbaijan’s role in ensuring Europe’s energy
security.
While informing his guest about the Armenian-Azerbaijani
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Mammadyarov stressed the importance of
changing the status quo and added that Armenian armed forces must
withdraw from the occupied Azerbaijani territories in order to resolve
the conflict. He emphasized that negotiations must be conducted in
order to achieve the desired result.
He noted that the withdrawal of Armenian forces from occupied
Azerbaijani territories would create broad opportunities for conflict
settlement.
Mammadyarov said that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is not a frozen
conflict. He stressed the importance of conducting significant
operations to resolve this conflict and to ensure peace in the region.
Both sides have stressed the importance of meetings between the
Azerbaijani and Armenian communities of Nagorno-Karabakh.
They added that Azerbaijan’s position is based on international law.
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 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.