Azerbaijan, Baku, 6 November / Trend / Determination of the status of Nagorno-Karabakh may be considered only after Armenia vacates the Azerbaijani territory, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said at the Turkish Parliament in Ankara on 6 November during his official visit to the country.
President Aliyev voiced is hope that the new Armenian administration would analyze the ongoing processes in the region and demonstrate political will to observe the principles of international law to settle the conflict, TRT2 channel quoted.
According to the Azerbaijani President, the declaration on settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, which has been recently signed among the Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian leaders in Moscow, is inspiring.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Armenia's Serzh Sargsyan and Russia's Dmitry Medvedev signed a declaration at the end of their meeting in Mein Dorf castle near Moscow on 2 November. Presidents of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan decided to make joint efforts to normalize the situation in Caucasus and requested Foreign Ministers to make efforts to solve the [Armenian-Azerbaijani] Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The declaration calls for the settlement of the conflict in line with the principles and norms of international law and decisions and documents adopted in this respect, which will create favourable conditions for economic development and comprehensive cooperation in the region.
Despite the tension in the region, the steps being taken and to be taken will promote the settling of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Aliyev said.
"The Azerbaijan-Turkey alliance is a factor of stability in the region. The situation in the region concerns us. Turkey's initiatives to settle the conflict will entail positive results," President said.
The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus began in 1988 due to Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. 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 countries keep on peace negotiating. OSCE Minsk Group co-chaired by USA, Russia, and France is engaged in peace settling of the conflict.
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