Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 20
By Elchin Mehdiyev – Trend:
A briefing on “Averting All-Out War in Nagorno-Karabakh: The Role of the US and OSCE”, which took place Oct. 18 in the Russell Senate Office Building of the US, was more aimed at promoting Armenia and getting even more help for it from the US, Azerbaijani MP Aydin Mirzazade told Trend Oct. 20.
“Nevertheless, Ambassador James Warlick, former OSCE Minsk Group co-chair from the US, and others made statements that were close to objectivity, and their essence is that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict should be settled within the framework of international law and the problem should be gradually solved,” Mirzazade said.
He noted that the phased plan includes withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces from the adjacent Azerbaijani districts of Nagorno-Karabakh, opening of the Lachin corridor, granting temporary status to Nagorno-Karabakh.
“These principles were offered and discussed many times,” the MP said. “The fact that they were repeated at a briefing in the US once again shows that there is no other way to solve this problem except these principles.”
On Oct. 19, James Warlick addressed a briefing on “Averting All-Out War in Nagorno-Karabakh: The Role of the US and OSCE”, organized by the US Congress Helsinki Commission. He noted that six elements, based on the Madrid Principles, should be an integral part of the peace agreement and be accepted as one package.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.