Azerbaijan, Baku, May 23 / Trend A. Akhundov /
Azerbaijan's main principle is that of the country's territorial integrity and sovereignty, Azerbaijani First Vice-Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament Ziyafat Asgarov told media today.
He was commenting on Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian's statement that his country is ready to sign a document entitled 'Six Principles' in connection with the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
"The Armenian Foreign Minister made a similar statement," he said. "Frankly speaking, I do not know anything about these principles. We expressed our opinion in this regard and once again declare that our main principle is that of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the country."
One can talk about other principles after ensuring this principle, he said.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven 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 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.