Details added (first version posted on 20:26)
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 11
Trend:
NATO has reaffirmed support of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, reads a Brussels Summit Declaration issued by the heads of state and government participating in the meeting of the North Atlantic Council in Brussels July 11-12, 2018.
NATO remains committed in its support for the territorial integrity, independence, and sovereignty of Azerbaijan, according to the declaration.
In this context, NATO continues to support efforts towards a peaceful settlement of the conflicts in the South Caucasus based upon these principles and the norms of international law, the UN Charter, and the Helsinki Final Act, reads the declaration.
“We urge all parties to engage constructively and with reinforced political will in peaceful conflict resolution, within the established negotiation frameworks,” says the document.
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.