Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec. 1 / Trend M. Aliyev /
Baku reacted to the denial of the Armenian community of Nagorno-Karabakh [Azerbaijan's enclave under Armenian occupation] from the dialogue with Azerbaijani community, which was to be held in Berlin on November 28.
The negotiations between the two communities are one of the main directions of resolving the relations, Head of the Presidential Administration Public and Political Department Ali Hasanov told media in Baku today.
He stressed that official Baku attaches great importance to this issue.
"The Azerbaijani community of Nagorno-Karabakh was always ready to participate in the negotiations," he said. "But it is necessary to understand why the Armenians have not attended the talks. This means that they do not want to stop their policy of aggression and use the negotiations to delay the problem. Azerbaijan has repeatedly stated that this policy has no future. Ultimately, this somehow may lead to military confrontation."
He said Armenian formal and informal bodies seek to avoid any negotiations, trying to prolong the situation after the occupation of Azerbaijani territories and achieving certain goals.
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. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.