AZERBAIJAN WILL NOT CEDE ITS LAND TO ARMENIA – AZERBAIJANI FOREIGN MINISTER

TREND Information
Nov 30 2007
Azerbaijan

Spain, Madrid / Trend corr. A.Maharramli / Azerbaijan will not cede
its land to Armenia, the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov
said during the 15th meeting of OSCE Council of Ministers in Madrid.

Despite the negotiation process, Armenia continues to implement their
occupancy plans, Mammadyarov said. The policy held by Armenia will
lead to the collapse of negotiations.

The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus began
in 1988 due to Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since
1992, Armenian Armed Forces have occupied 20% of Azerbaijan including
the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven surrounding districts. In
1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which
time the active hostilities ended. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk
Group (Russia, France, and the US) are currently holding peaceful
negotiations.