Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 26

By Matanat Nasibova – Trend:

The permission for the "head" of the illegal separatist regime, established in the occupied Azerbaijani territories, to enter the Russian Federation is contrary to Russia's mediation as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, Fikrat Sadikhov, a well-known Azerbaijani political analyst, former diplomat, told Trend Nov. 26.

Armenian media had earlier spread information that the "head" of the separatist regime, Bako Sahakyan arrived in the Russian Federation.

Sadikhov noted that this fact negatively affects the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

"At the same time, this contradicts the legal framework of the bilateral relations between Russia and Azerbaijan. As we know, there is a Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Security between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Azerbaijan, according to which the parties pledged not to support the separatist movements, as well as to stop the activities of individuals against the state sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the other party. Russia, as a supporter of the peaceful settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, should stop Bako Sahakyan's dubious visits to its territory," Sadikhov said.

Sadikhov said Sahakyan's visits to any of the countries that have pledged to carry out the mediation mission are unacceptable.

"Sahakyan's illegal visits to each of the countries co-chairing the OSCE Minsk Group are directed against the conflict's settlement since the visits violate the norms and principles of international law and at the same time question the mediation efforts of the countries involved in the negotiations," Sadikhov added.

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.

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