Azerbaijan, Baku, July 5 / Trend E.Mehdiyev /
Unique conditions have been formed for progress in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh, the director of the Centre of Political Innovations and Technologies, Mubariz Ahmedoglu, told reporters on Thursday.
He said both Azerbaijan and Armenia raised the issue of ethnic cleansing at the United Nations.
"Both parties accuse each other of ethnic cleansing. This creates an excellent opportunity for the UN to establish a commission to investigate two applications of the same content. The UN, based on the appeals of both sides is to determine whether or not ethnic cleansing was carried out in the conflict region during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," Ahmedoglu said.
The presidents of both countries said they are supporters of the settlement of the conflict on the basis of the Helsinki Final Act, the political scientist said.
"Three principles of the Helsinki Final Act (non-use of force or the threat of use of force, territorial integrity, equality and self-determination of peoples) were adopted in 1975. It is impossible to arbitrarily interpret these principles. Among the first documents signed by Azerbaijan and Armenia immediately after gaining independence while being admitted to the UN, is the Helsinki Final Act. It is possible, taking agreement of both parties as a basis, to sign a document for the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict," Ahmedoglu said.
He said 'presidential elections' held in Nagorno-Karabakh provide a reasonable basis for resolving the conflict. An opinion poll conducted by the Armenians, shows a rather low rating for the current leadership of this fictional government.
"It is the cry of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh. Mediators can take a group of Azerbaijanis who once lived there to Nagorno-Karabakh and direct the current political activism to the settlement of the conflict," the analyst added.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven 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 peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.