Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 23
By Seba Agayeva – Trend:
Those who talk about non-use of force in the context of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict settlement, first of all, must eliminate the factor of military occupation of the territories of Azerbaijan, the Permanent Mission of Azerbaijan to the OSCE said in a message Jan. 23.
According to the message, non-implementation of the resolutions of the UN Security Council by Armenia remains an open challenge to the conflict settlement process and a serious threat to international and regional peace and security.
In its resolutions, the UN Security Council condemned the occupation of the territories of Azerbaijan, reaffirmed the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan, with the Nagorno-Karabakh region as part of it, specifically reaffirmed the principle of inviolability of international borders and the inadmissibility of the use of force for the acquisition of territory, the message said.
In its resolutions, the UN Security Council also demanded the immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of the occupying Armenian forces from all the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, the mission said.
Thus, the primary objective of Azerbaijan's participation in the peace process is to ensure the immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh region and other occupied territories of Azerbaijan, the message said.
According to the message, the peace must restore Azerbaijan's sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.
Deviation by the OSCE Minsk Group and its co-chairmen from this framework defined by the UN Security Council undermines the mandate entrusted to it and could have a serious impact on conflict resolution process, the mission said.
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.