OPENING OF TURKISH-ARMENIAN BORDERS & WITHDRAWAL OF ARMENIAN TROOPS SHOULD RUN PARALLEL: AZERBAIJANI AMBASSADOR TO KAZAKHSTAN

Trend
Oct 28 2009
Azerbaijan

Process of opening the Turkey-Armenia border and withdrawal of the
Armenian forces from the occupied Azerbaijani territories should run
in parallel, Azerbaijani Ambassador to Kazakhstan Latif Gandilov said.

"We hail the option of solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict such
as opening of the border will run parallel to withdrawal of troops,"
Gandilov told Trend News.

Azerbaijan is a peace-loving country interested in the peaceful
settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the ambassador added.

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.