Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 14
By Seba Aghayeva - Trend:
Armenia destabilizes the situation in the region, resorting to the sabotage, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said at a meeting with EU Special Representative Herbert Salber in Baku, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said Jan. 14.
"First, it is necessary to withdraw Armenian armed forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan to peacefully resolve the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," the minister said.
The strategic partnership in the energy sphere between Azerbaijan and the EU, the prospects for development of bilateral cooperation were discussed during the meeting, a statement says.
Salber emphasized the important role of Azerbaijan in energy security of Europe.
The program of the visit of Salber, who is on a visit to Azerbaijan, is to meet with the officials of the country.
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 two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.
Edited by CN
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