Azerbaijan, Baku, 2 April / Trend corr I. Alizade/ Fifteen years have passed after the capturing of Azerbaijan's Kalbajar region by Armenia. Armenia captured Kalbajar on 2 April 1993.
The territory of the region makes up 1,936 cu. km, the population - 70,000. At present, the displaced residents of region live in 59 regions of Azerbaijan.
As a result of the occupation, 511 people died, 321 went on missing and captured. The region sustained damage in the sum of USD 761mln. The large-scale operation was commenced by Armenian armed forces on 27 March and ended in the sezation of Kalbajar, which is the largest amongst the regions under occupation of Armenia. The Armenian armed forces destroyed the regional centre, some 150 villages, as well as plenty of cultural and historical monuments, 1 museum, the Istisu sanatorium, etc.
After the forceful capture of Kalbajar region, the UN Security Council passed the Resolution # 822 in its 3205th meeting. The Resolution demands the immediate withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from Kalbajar and other occupied territories of Azerbaijan. The Resolution has not been implemented yet. Later, the UN Security Council passed the Resolution # 874 for the liberation of Fuzuli region and Resolution # 884 for the liberation of other occupied regions. None of these resolutions have been implemented so far.
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 surrounding districts. In 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which time the active hostilities ended. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group ( Russia, France, and the US) are currently holding peaceful negotiations.