Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 5
By Anakhanum Khidayatova - Trend:
The European Union doesn't recognize the "elections" in Nagorno-Karabakh, the European Commission's Spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic told Trend Sept. 5.
She was commenting on the "elections" to "self-government bodies" scheduled to be held Sept. 13 by the separatist regime in the occupied Azerbaijani territories.
"As stated before, the European Union does not recognize the constitutional and legal framework within which "elections" are being held in Nagorno-Karabakh," said Kocijancic. "Such procedures cannot prejudice the determination of the future status of Nagorno-Karabakh or impact the negotiation process."
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 the UN Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.
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