Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 13
By Seba Aghayeva – Trend:
The worsening situation in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone is worrying, said Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics in a briefing after negotiations with his Azerbaijani counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov in Baku Feb. 13.
Rinkevics is on an official visit to Azerbaijan.
“We understand the complexity of the situation in the region,” said the Latvian minister, adding that his country is committed to the principle of territorial integrity and supports the negotiations conducted by the OSCE Minsk Group.
“This issue is being discussed not only within the OSCE, but also within the Eastern Partnership and the European Union,” added Rinkevics.
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 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.