BAKU, Azerbaijan, Dec. 27
By Samir Ali - Trend:
The Azerbaijani community of Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh region is always ready to meet with the Armenian side, Head of the Azerbaijani community of the Nagorno-Karabakh region Tural Ganjaliyev told reporters in Baku, Trend reports Dec. 27.
Ganjaliyev noted that this year the community repeatedly voiced such an initiative, but the Armenian side didn’t answer.
“Unfortunately, no answer was given during this year,” the community head said. “This suggests that the Armenian community depends on the illegal regime. It is quite possible that among community members there are those who want to live together with Azerbaijanis, but pressure is exerted on them.”
“After the Azerbaijani community of the Nagorno-Karabakh region urged the Armenian community to negotiate, mutual visits of journalists took place, but the Armenian side made a show out of it and started to make provocative statements," Ganjaliyev added. "This means that the representatives of the illegal regime, leadership of occupier Armenia aren’t interested in this matter.”
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, 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 Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts.