Trend, Azerbaijan
Dec 18 2009

Azerbaijan presents note of protest to U.S. State Department

Azerbaijani Ambassadir to the U.S. Yashar Aliyev presented an official
note of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry to the US State Department to
protest the U.S. financial assistance to the separatists of
Nagorno-Karabakh, ANS TV reported.

"This assistance strengthens ethnic separatism in Nagorno-Karabakh and
adversely affects the solution of the conflict. This step of U.S., who
recognizes Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, implies moral and
material support. This step decreases a confidence and trust to U.S.
in Azerbaijan," the note read.

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.

Armenian has not yet implemented the U.N. General Assembly’s
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and the
occupied territories.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress