Baku, Azerbaijan, May 8
By Ilkin Izzet - Trend:
Azerbaijani Prime Minister Artur Rasizade received the visiting delegation led by the Chief of General Staff of Croatian Armed Forces, General Drago Lovric.
During the meeting Rasizade noted with satisfaction the development of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Croatia in the political, economic and cultural spheres and expressed confidence that this visit will contribute to the expansion of bilateral cooperation between the two states in the military-technical sphere, according to the press-service of the Azerbaijan's Cabinet of Ministers.
In reference to the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Azerbaijani PM spoke about the Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani lands, refugees and internally displaced persons, the destruction of social and cultural facilities and infrastructure in the conflict zone, as well as noted the inadmissibility of the use of double standards, what is happening in the conflict resolution process.
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 two countries 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.
Lovric informed the head of the Azerbaijani government about the held meetings and talks, conduction of the exchange of views on the cooperation in the defense sphere with the Azerbaijani colleagues during his visit to Baku.
Croatian Chief of General Staff noted the importance of resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict only in the framework of international legal norms on the basis of the principle of territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.
The parties exchanged views on other issues of mutual interest at the meeting.
Translated by S.I.
Edited by C.N.