Azerbaijan , Baku, April 11 / Trend /
Azerbaijan hopes for more active participation of mediators, mainly the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs and Russia in resolving the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said in an interview with Rossiya-24 News TV channel of the All- Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company .
"We hope for more active participation of mediators, mainly the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs and Russia as a regional country, as our neighbor, especially given Russia's active role in recent years," President Aliyev said.
Aliyev appraised Russia's role in resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. "President Dmitry Medvedev has made great efforts to help the sides to settle the conflict. Several tripartite meetings have been held on his initiative, which are of great importance and have a positive effect," he said.
President Aliyev said unfortunately, the conflict remains unresolved for many years, and expressed hope for progress in the near future. "Although it took many years and although almost all international organizations have adopted relevant decisions and resolutions, the conflict still remains unresolved. The UN Security Council adopted four resolutions on withdrawal of the Armenian occupying forces from the Azerbaijani territory, and none of them has been fulfilled. When we see that the Security Council's resolution on Libya begins to be fulfilled just within a few hours of its adoption, whereas the resolution on Nagorno-Karabakh remains unfulfilled for already 17-18 years, then, of course, the question arises - why? What is the reason for such a speed, and in our case - such passivity?" President Aliyev added.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. - are currently holding the peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.