Baku, Azerbaijan, March 12
By Anakhanum Khidayatova - Trend:
The EU does not recognise the so-called parliamentary election in Nagorno-Karabakh, the EU told Trend March 12.
The EU was commenting on the upcoming 'election' in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.
"We are aware of the "parliamentary election" in Nagorno-Karabakh," the EU said. "We are following how such plans would evolve in this area. The EU does not recognize the election in South Ossetia. As for South Ossetia, the EU made a statement that it recognizes the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia."
Earlier, the Azerbaijani foreign ministry called the 'parliamentary election' planned to be held by the separatist regime of Nagorno-Karabakh on May 3 as illegal.
"The upcoming "election" is a clear violation of the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the norms and principles of international law," spokesman for the Azerbaijani foreign ministry Hikmet Hajiyev said. "This "election" is aimed at undermining the negotiation process on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement."
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.
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