Top official: Azerbaijani authorities never entitled any diaspora organization to negotiate on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb.21 / Trend M. Aliyev /

Azerbaijani authorities have not entitled any diaspora organization to negotiate on the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Deputy Head of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration, Head of the Foreign Relations Department, Novruz Mammadov said.

He was commenting on the efforts of some organizations in a number of foreign countries to negotiate on behalf of Azerbaijan.

"We do not recognize such talks, and these negotiations have no legal effect. I believe that these organizations under a certain influence, pressure and encouragement establish such links and claim for negotiations," Mammadov said.

He said the negotiations do not and cannot have any legal basis.

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.

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