Baku, Azerbaijan, May 10
By Umid Niayesh - Trend:
Iranian officials have once again expressed their support for Azerbaijan in the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
The Islamic Republic's foreign ministry spokeswoman, Marzieh Afkham said that Iran does not recognize the "parliamentary election" in Nagorno-Karabakh.
"We believe that such moves make the path of resolving the problems in the region more difficult and more complex," Afkham said, the official website of the Iran's embassy to Baku said.
The spokeswoman further said that the Islamic Republic is against any action which harms stability, security and peace in the region.
The "parliamentary election" in occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan was held May 3.
Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry called the election illegal. Other world countries, including the US and the European Union also did not recognize the "election" as legitimate.
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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