Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 24
By Saba Aghayeva - Trend:
Germany's position on the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan is unchanged. The country considers Nagorno-Karabakh as an integral part of Azerbaijan's territory, Acting Spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Hikmet Hajiyev told Trend Sept. 24.
The German foreign ministry responded to the diplomatic note of the Azerbaijani embassy in connection with German MPs Manfred Grund's and Albert Weiler's visit to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.
"The German foreign ministry constantly urges Bundestag members to avoid such visits and inform them of Azerbaijan's fundamental position in relation to those making such illegal visits," Hajiyev said.
Hajiyev said that the embassy also appealed with the appropriate letter to the Bundestag and received a reply stating that German MPs' trip can not be regarded as a visit initiated by the Bundestag.
"The foreign ministry and the Bundestag said that Bundestag members' visit to the occupied territories was private," he said.
"The Azerbaijani embassy in France also intends to take appropriate actions in connection with the visit of a representative of the French Senate to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan," Hajiyev said.
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 four U.N. Security Council resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.