Baku, Azerbaijan, March 3
By Ilkin Izzet - Trend:
Armenia's stalling of the negotiation process on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement negatively affects the situation in the region, Azerbaijani Defense Minister, Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov said at a meeting with Japanese Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador to Azerbaijan Tsuguo Takahashi, the Azerbaijani defense ministry reported March 3.
While speaking about the military-political situation in the region, the minister informed the guest about the occupation policy of Armenia.
Hasanov said that Armenia continues its occupation policy.
"As a result, the peaceful settlement of the conflict is being protracted," he said. "This has a negative effect on the situation in the region".
The sides exchanged views on mutual interest in the development of relations between Azerbaijan and Japan in various fields.
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 four UN Security Council resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.
Edited by CN