By Rashid Shirinov
The document on settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict remains the same, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said on June 12.
He made the remarks at a joint press conference with his Estonian counterpart Sven Mikser in Baku.
Mammadyarov noted that he discussed the promotion of the negotiation process during his meeting with Russian and Armenian counterparts in Moscow on April 29.
Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with signing of a fragile ceasefire in 1994. Since the war, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.
While the OSCE Minsk Group acted as the only mediator in resolution of the conflict, the occupation of the territory of the sovereign state with its internationally recognized boundaries has been left out of due attention of the international community for years.
The basic elements for further negotiations towards a peace agreement have been agreed upon by both Presidents – the “Madrid Principles”, with small adaptations, have been on the table now for nearly 10 years.
The minister also commented on the visit of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs to the region: "I cannot say what proposals the co-chairs will bring to Baku.”
“Currently, the mediators to the negotiation process are in Armenia. Let’s wait and see with what message they will arrive from Armenia to Baku,” Mammadyarov said.
The co-chairs will arrive in Azerbaijan on June 19.
The minister also stressed that Azerbaijan stands for the beginning of substantive talks on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue.
“Azerbaijan's position remains unchanged. The status quo needs to be changed, because we all know what the consequences may be if it is preserved,” noted Mammadyarov.
The minister also stressed that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict must be resolved on the basis of relevant resolutions of the United Nations. “The UN resolutions call for unconditional withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from Azerbaijan's territories. The issue of sovereignty noted in these documents is our common interest,” he said.
Mammadyarov added that all negotiations must be resolved on the basis of international norms and principles, and all UN member countries must abide by it.
Armenia ignores four UN Security Council resolutions on immediate withdrawal from the occupied territory of Azerbaijan, thus keeping tension high in the region.