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Nagorno-Karabakh conflict must be resolved honoring Azerbaijan's territorial sovereignty: Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili

Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict Materials 23 December 2009 16:33 (UTC +04:00)
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict must be resolved honoring Azerbaijan's territorial sovereignty, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said.
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict must be resolved honoring Azerbaijan's territorial sovereignty: Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili

Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec. 23 / Trend E. Tariverdiyeva /

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict must be resolved honoring Azerbaijan's territorial sovereignty, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said.

"There is only one way to solve all these problems. Direct negotiations taking into account international law, including the rights of people to return to their place of residence, and respect for state sovereignty," Saakashvili said in an interview with Ekho Moskvy radio station.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. - are currently holding the peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. General Assembly's resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and the occupied territories.

He said the Nagorno-Karabakh problem is complicated. A main key to the problem is Russia.

"I think thhe countries must talk, people must communicate to achieve results. As for the talks held between Turkey and Armenia, everything should be coordinated with Azerbaijan, " Saakashvili said.

He added that talks are always good, any progress is positive.

"I do not want to call this situation the status quo. As our situation has shown, the status quo does not exist. Whenever there is such a situation, one must always be careful to avoid complications and deterioration," Saakashvili said.

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