Azerbaijan, Baku, June 12 / Trend /
Foreign Ministry of Spain replied to the note submitted by Azerbaijan in connection with the visit of opera singer Montserrat Caballe to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.
"The response of the Foreign Ministry of Spain received by the Azerbaijani Embassy in Madrid on Tuesday says that such visits paid on a private initiative does not change the official position of Spain on this issue," the embassy told Trend.
The letter notes that Spain, among other principles of international law, recognizes the principle of territorial integrity, and supports the efforts of the international community for a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
On June 5, Azerbaijan sent Spain a note of protest in connection with the illegal trip of the Spanish opera singer Montserrat Caballe to Nagorno-Karabakh.
Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Spain Altay Afandiyev also requested a meeting with Montserrat Caballe in order to deliver her a letter of the Minister of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan Abulfaz Garayev.
The letter states that such visits could harm bilateral relations. The Minister of Culture invites Caballe to visit Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijani ambassador also delivered a letter of the Minister of Culture and Tourism Abulfaz Garayev to his Spanish counterpart, which also expressed dissatisfaction with the singer's illegal trip to Nagorno-Karabakh.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions of Azerbaijan.
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 peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the occupied territories.