Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 20
By Anakhanum Hidayatova – Trend:
Norway, like the rest of the international community, does not recognize the independence of the so-called Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, as well as the “referendum” planned to be held there, the Norwegian Embassy in Baku said in a message.
The so-called referendum is being held on Feb. 20 in Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh region, occupied by Armenia.
“Norway supports the territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group to facilitate a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” reads the message.
Earlier, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry said the illegal “referendum” constitutes a clear violation of the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the norms and principles of international law, and, therefore, has no legal effect whatsoever.
The ministry reiterated that the illegal regime established by Armenia in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan is ultimately nothing other than the product of aggression and occupation.
“This provocative step, as well as Armenia’s attempts to change the name of the Nagorno-Karabakh region, the integral part of Azerbaijan, is yet another clear manifestation that Armenia is not genuinely interested in seeking a political settlement of the armed conflict,” added the ministry.
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.