Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb.16
By Seba Aghayeva - Trend:
The issues related to combating terrorism were discussed with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said in Baku on Feb.16.
Mammadyarov made the remarks following the meeting with his Iranian counterpart who is on a two-day visit to Azerbaijan.
"I briefed the Iranian foreign minister about the negotiation process on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," said the minister.
"Unfortunately, there is no progress in this issue," he said. "OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs are on a visit to Baku. We will make a statement following the meeting with the co-chairs."
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.
Mammadyarov added that Azerbaijan and Iran are bound by historical roots and the relations between the two brotherly nations should continue.
Furthermore, the minister said that Baku will host the bilateral meeting on the status of the Caspian Sea. The meeting will be held as part of the five-party meeting of the expert group on determining the status of the sea.
Zarif, for his part, said that the relations with neighboring countries are the priority of Iran's foreign policy.
"The relations with Azerbaijan are of particular importance for Iran," said Zarif. "We should strengthen the relations between our peoples and make efforts to restore security in the region."
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