Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 6
Trend:
The only way to resolve the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is through peace talks within the framework of international law, Pope Francis said.
He made the remarks at a press conference dedicated to the results of his visit to the Caucasus, according to the official website of the Pope.
The Pope added that he sees no other way to resolve the conflict, adding that another way is war, which is always followed by destructions.
He noted that one needs to pray for peace.
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.