Baku, Azerbaijan, July 8
By Seba Aghayeva - Trend:
The representatives of the European Azerbaijan Society (TEAS) are holding a protest action in front of the Chatham House (UK Royal Institute of International Affairs), TEAS told Trend July 8.
The protest action is against the participation of Bako Sahakyan, head of the separatist regime of Nagorno-Karabakh at the event organized by the Royal Institute of International Affairs, according to TEAS.
A meeting with Sahakyan is being held at the Royal Institute July 8.
Earlier, TEAS representatives appealed to the Royal Institute's leadership asking to allow them to participate at the meeting in order to express their position. However, the institute's leadership rejected the request.
Azerbaijan has already expressed protest to the UK over the possible visit of the head of the separatist regime of Nagorno-Karabakh to this country.
The UK ambassador to Azerbaijan Irfan Siddiq was invited to Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry where the country's Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov expressed strong protest of Azerbaijan over the planned visit of the head of the separatist regime of Nagorno-Karabakh Bako Sahakyan to the UK on July 8 and participation in the event organized by the Royal Institute of International Affairs.
Following the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the separatist regime was established in Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh.
During the meeting, it was noted that this situation contradicts with the spirit of friendly and strategic relations between Azerbaijan and the UK and is regarded as a step taken against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.
The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan 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 the UN Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.
Edited by SI
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