Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 8
By Anakhanum Khidayatova - Trend:
Great Britain does not recognize Nagorno-Karabakh as a state and, accordingly, does not recognize the legal framework for the upcoming so-called election, the British embassy in Baku told Trend Sept. 8.
It was commenting on the upcoming so-called election in "self-government bodies" of the separatist regime in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, scheduled for September 13.
"The British government supports the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group and all sides in the activity to achieve a sustainable solution to the conflict based on the principles of refraining from the threat or using of weapons, as well as the territorial integrity and the national self-determination principle," the embassy said. "This position was expressed earlier during the "parliamentary election" in May and our position has not been changed."
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.
Edited by CN
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