Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr.26
Trend:
It is necessary to put an end to the military occupation of Azerbaijani territories, said Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov during the meeting with his Spanish counterpart Jose Manuel García-Margallo y Marfil Apr.26.
In order to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Armenia should withdraw its armed forces from Azerbaijani lands and start a comprehensive political process, said Azerbaijan's foreign minister.
Mammadyarov also briefed his Spanish counterpart about the recent developments on the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian armies, as well as the provocations staged by Armenian armed forces and the shelling of civilians.
Spain's foreign minister, for his part, noted that his country supports Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and sovereignty.
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 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.