Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 27
Trend:
It is essential to establish mechanism and plan on withdrawal of military forces of Armenia from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov told AzerTag Sept. 27.
He was commenting on the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs' Sept. 26 statement.
Mammadyarov added that establishment of mechanism on investigation of incidents could only be considered when it wouldn't serve to maintain the current status quo, as the presidents of co-chair countries called unacceptable, and justify the occupation.
He also stressed that the first and foremost reason for the mentioned "incidents" is occupation of territories of Azerbaijan by Armenia and military presence of Armenia in those occupied territories.
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, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.