Baku, Azerbaijan, May 6
By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend:
Favorable conditions must be created to solve the problems which are being discussed at the World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue, Novruz Mammadov, deputy head of Azerbaijani presidential administration, chief of the administration’s foreign relations department, said.
He made the remarks May 6 in Baku at the panel session of the 4th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue, titled “Development of peaceful relations through intercultural dialogue”.
The 4th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue, titled “Advancing Intercultural Dialogue – New avenues for human security, peace and sustainable development”, which started May 4 in Baku, continues its work in Azerbaijan’s capital.
“If anyone prevents the creation of favorable conditions, such events are meaningless,” he added.
Mammadov said that no country did so much work over the last years as Azerbaijan did.
"This forum is very important,” he said. “Azerbaijan, having one million refugees, was able to build an independent state. However, no one is interested in the origin of this problem of refugees. Azerbaijani lands have been under Armenia’s occupation for more than 25 years. However, no country expresses a concrete position over this.”
“The documents, covering the events which occurred 20-30 years ago, are being archived,” he said. “Big powers try to solve problems among themselves, while small ones are waiting for what will happen. But even if one person is still fighting for the truth, then it makes sense to remain optimistic. If there is no comprehensive approach, then the observance of international law will be impossible and tension will still be observed in the world.”
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 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.