Azerbaijan, Baku, 25 August/ Trend , corr R. Novruzov/ The official Baku does not see any prospects of recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh beyond the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.
"The independence of Nagorno-Karabakh should be recognized only within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan," Khazar Ibrahim, spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan said to media on 25 August.
The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus began in 1988 due to Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since 1992, Armenian Armed Forces have occupied 20% of Azerbaijan including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven surrounding districts. In 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which time the active hostilities ended. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group ( Russia, France, and the US) are currently holding peaceful negotiations.
The leadership of the self-declared ' Nagorno-Karabakh Republic' intends to follow the example of South Ossetia and Abkhazia and to appeal Council of Federation of Russia to recognize its independence.
On 25 August, the Upper Chamber of the Russian parliament unanimously voted for the appeal to the Russian President to recognize the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Vesti TV channel of Russia reported. The speaker of the Upper Chamber of the Russian parliament Sergey Mironov stated that " South Ossetia and Abkhazia has all grounds for the recognition of their independence".
Presidents of self-declared republics EduardKokoity and Sergey Bagapsh told the Council that the people of South Ossetia and Abkhazia have a right to be recognized than Kosovo. "We have more political and legal grounds foe recognition (of independence) than Kosovo".
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