Azerbaijan, Baku, 28 August/ Trend , corr I. Alizade/ The Azerbaijani community of Nagorno-Karabakh believes that Russia is not likely to recognize independence of separatist structure in Nagorno-Karabakh.
"Official Moscow can not recognize independence of Nagorno-Karabakh separatists on government level and no Russian non-governmental organizations will support them," Nizami Bahmanov, head of Azerbaijani Community said to Trend .
On 26 August, Russia recognized independence of break-away Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions of Georgia. The non-governmental organizations of Armenia have appealed the government to recognize independence of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Armenia has occupied 20% of Azerbaijan's lands including Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding seven regions. The occupation began in 1988. Azerbaijan lost the Nagorno-Karabakh, except of Shusha and Khojali, in December 1991. In 1992-93, Armenian Armed Forces occupied Shusha, Khojali and Nagorno-Karabakh's seven surrounding regions. 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, but fruitless negotiations.
Bahmanov said Azerbaijan can be compared with neither with Armenia nor Georgia. Azerbaijan has certain weight in the region and Azerbaijan's relations with Russia are only developing thanks to the balanced foreign policy of president.
" Russia can not take the same steps toward Azerbaijan as in case of Georgia. Armenians want to take advantage of situation around Abkhazia and South Ossetia. If they appeal Russia, their appeal will be rejected unambiguously. The conflicts in Georgia and problems in Nagorno-Karabakh are not similar. There is fact of occupation involved and Armenia occupied Azerbaijan's lands during Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," Bahmanov said.
Head of the Community also stated that all steps taken by Armenia concerning Nagorno-Karabakh contradicts international principles. If Armenia recognizes independence of Nagorno-Karabakh separatists, it will not yield any results, he said.
The Azerbaijani Community of Nagorno-Karabakh does not need to appeal parliaments of other states to recognize Armenia as an occupier, he said.
"Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is the focus of attention of world community and UN, Council of Europe and OSCE have passed resolutions and decisions on this issue and have recognized Armenia as occupier. Their decisions must be fulfilled and we must demand it as well," Bahmanov said.
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