Trend, Azerbaijan
July 9 2009
Time to resolve Nagorno-Karabakh conflict: deputy chairman of
Azerbaijani ruling party
Azerbaijan, Baku, July 9 / Trend News, A.Huseynbala /
It is time to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, said deputy
chairman of ruling party of Azerbaijan.
"The intensification of the negotiations on the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict settlement is a positive fact. Meetings are held in order to
achieve a result. And the result, as we understand, is that
Azerbaijani territories should be freed from the occupation and the
refugees should return to their native land," said deputy chairman of
ruling New Azerbaijan Party (NAP), Ali Ahmedov.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 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.
According to Ahmedov, if the negotiation process is accelerated and
meetings at the presidential level are held often, it is worthy to
expect results from the negotiations. "We hope that at the next
meeting, concrete steps will be taken for a positive solution to the
conflict. Ensuring stability in the South Caucasus depends on a fair
solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, as it is the territorial
integrity of Azerbaijan. Another solution to the conflict does not
exist," said deputy chairman.
According to Ahmedov, work of Russia, co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk
Group to resolve the conflict even more intensified. "Russia has an
opportunity to influence the resolution of the conflict, and the
growth of initiatives of this State is a cause for optimism," said
Ahmedov.
"If the mutual visits of intellectuals of Azerbaijan and Armenia help
resolve the conflict, it is necessary to encourage them," Ahmedov
said, touching upon the visits of Azerbaijani and Armenian
intellectuals.
The NAP was founded by Heydar Aliyev in 1992. The present chair of the
party is Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who has held the position
for 14 years.