NAGORNO-KARABAKH WAS NOT FROZEN – DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER

Trend News Agency
April 16 2008
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan, Baku, 16 April /TrendNews corr K. Ramazanova/ "The
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was not frozen at any time or at any stage,"
the Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Araz Azimov said at press
conference on 16 April.

"Conflict cannot be called frozen. Only situation can be frozen,"
Azimov said.

According to the Deputy Foreign Minister, Azerbaijan fulfils its
obligations, but the opposite side violates the ceasefire.

"Armenia wants the conflict to be frozen and that is the core of
our discussions. We should take into consideration the future of the
conflict," he said.

According to Azimov, avoidance of settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict, freezing the status and achieving some goals serves the
interests of several groups.

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.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress