Azerbaijan, Baku, Jan. 14 / Trend M.Aliyev /
The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry characterized 2009 as a year of intensive negotiations to settle the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
The fact that the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan held six meetings with the participation of the OSCE Minsk Group a year, as well as several meetings of foreign ministers of both countries testify to this, the ministry's report on the results of 2009 says.
The Foreign Ministry noted that the international community's immense interest toward settling this conflict in 2009. Thus, the G-8 Summit in the Italian L'Aquila city adopted a joint statement by the presidents of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the foreign ministers of Russia and France and the U.S Assistant Secretary of State adopted a joint statement on the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement Dec.1 as a result of the Athens meeting of the OSCE Council of Foreign Ministers. All these are evident to immense attention to solving the conflict, the report says.
Azerbaijan's position on its resolution is clear. The conflict must be resolved only within the framework of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and internationally recognized borders of Azerbaijan. This position is based on the norms and principles of international law and U.N. charters, the Helsinki Final Act and numerous international papers adopted within the framework of the conflict settlement, the report says.
Negotiations on settlement of the conflict are directed at the harmonization of details coming from these principles, the ministry notes.
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.
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