Azerbaijan, Baku / Тrend corr S. Ilhamgizi / At a 12 July press conference, the Chairman of the State Committee on Work with Azerbaijanis Residing Abroad, Nazim Ibrahimov, positively estimated the visit of a group of Azerbaijani intelligentsia to Nagorno-Karabakh.
"Everybody can visit Nagorno-Karabakh, including myself. Every Azerbaijani should make a statement about Azerbaijan's invariable position on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the step will be approved," he noted.
According to the Chairman, the visit is positively perceived outside of Azerbaijan.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries broke out in 1988 in view of Armenia's territorial claims to Azerbaijan. Since 1992, 20% of Azerbaijani territory (Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions) have been occupied by the Armenian Armed Forces. In May 1994, a ceasefire agreement was signed between both sides. The peaceful negotiations under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chaired by Russia, France, and the United States are still underway.