Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec. 11 / Trend E.Ostapenko /
Japan hopes for an early resolution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group, Japanese Ambassador to Azerbaijan Masamitsu Oki said today
"The Minsk Group has intensified its efforts and I hope they will bear fruit in the near future," he said at a debate in the Center for Strategic Studies off the Azerbaijani President today.
According to the ambassador, Japan is not directly involved in the process of settling Nagorno-Karabakh, but the country encourages all parties to exert efforts leading to the early settlement of the conflict.
"The Nagorno-Karabakh problem should be solved on the basis of international legal principles," he added.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994.
The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. - are currently holding the peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. General Assembly's resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and the occupied territories.
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