Azerbaijan, Baku / Тrend corr S. Agayeva / At present, the representatives of more than 80 nations and the national minorities are residing in Azerbaijan, and they are the complete citizens of the country, the Azerbaijani Youth and Sport Minister Azad Rahimov said at an international conference 'The Armenian-Azerbaijani Conflict: Role of Youth in Settling Military Conflicts' held in Baku on 18 Dec.
"For more than 17 years, Azerbaijan has been involved in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which is a serious concern for all the citizens of the country, independent of their national or political allegiance. For many years, Azerbaijan has been telling the world, the truth about the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, and today's conference will be another step in this regard," the Minister said.
The conference organized jointly with the Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry, includes the conflict experts, the political scientists from 22 countries, and the representatives of the Azerbaijani youth organizations. The Baku Declaration is expected to be passed as a result of the conference.
The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus began in 1988, due to Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since 1992, Armenian Armed Forces have occupied 20% of Azerbaijan including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven neighbouring districts. In 1994, a ceasefire agreement signed by Azerbaijan and Armenia ended the active hostilities. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group ( Russia, France, and the US) are currently holding the peaceful negotiations.