NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT TO BE SOLVED, IF ARMENIA TO RESPECT TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY PRINCIPLE: Aliyev
Trend News Agency
Feb 16 2009
Azerbaijan
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will be resolved, if Armenia will respect
the principle of territorial integrity, Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev said after the meeting with Greek President Karolos Papoulias.
"The principle of territorial integrity secured in international law
must be observed so that to resolve the conflict. I think that if
Armenia is to respect this principle, the issue would be resolved,"
ITAR-TASS quoted Aliyev as saying.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan
lost all of Nagorno-Karabakh except for Shusha and Khojali in December
1991. In 1992-93, Armenian armed forces occupied Shusha, Khojali and 7
districts surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed
a ceasefire in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia,
France, and the U.S. – are currently holding the peace negotiations.