Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 6
By Jamilya Jafarova - Trend:
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is a long lasting one, which must be resolved through diplomatic channels, the director of the Department of Research and Development of the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis (INEGMA) Theodore Karasik said.
"The tension in the zone of conflict persists, and it is evidenced by the recent incident with the helicopter," Karasik told Trend. "Given the ongoing processes in the world, including the ones in Russia and Ukraine, as well as economic sanctions against Russia , it is likely that the conflict will break out with a new force."
On Nov. 12, at 13:45 (UTC/GMT +4 hours), an Armenian Mi-24 helicopter flying 1,700 meters northeast of the Kengerli village of Azerbaijan's Aghdam district attacked the Azerbaijani army positions. The Azerbaijani side shot down the helicopter.
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 US are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.