The UK urges Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents to adhere the format of peace negotiations on the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to achieve peace and stability in the region, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the UK to Armenia, Katherine Jane Leach told reporters on Sept.23.
The British diplomat expressed hope that the countries will manage to hold honest and fair negotiations to achieve peace, Armenia's NEWS.am website reported.
"Peace is what the people of Armenia and Azerbaijan want. It is very important to prepare people to peace," Leach said during a press conference.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The two countries 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.