MOSCOW TALKS ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT TO FOCUS ON TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF AZERBAIJAN: FOREIGN MINISTRY

Trend News Agency
July 21 2008
Azerbaijan

The upcoming Moscow talks between the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan
and Armenia on the resolution of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will focus
on the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

The meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the two countries Elmar
Mammadyarov and Edward Nalbandyan will be held on 1 August in Moscow,
Khazar Ibrahim, spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan said
to media on 21 July.

The talks will be held on the basis of Madrid principles of
resolution of the conflict. In November 2007, co-chairmen of OSCE
Minsk Group presented basic principles of the peaceful resolution
of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to the presidents of Armenia and
Azerbaijan. The co-chairmen believe that the " Madrid proposals"
are fair and balanced.

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.