BAKU, Azerbaijan, Nov. 22
Trend:
Major social projects are being implemented in Azerbaijan, they cover every citizen of the country, Azerbaijani MP Jalya Aliyeva said Nov. 22 in Bulgaria’s Sofia city at the 54th Plenary Session of the General Assembly of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC), Trend reports.
“The PABSEC has been operating for 26 years,” Aliyeva noted. “I have been a member of this organization for 14 years. Friendship and mutual understanding have always reigned here. Opinions and proposals have always been received with respected. Our cooperation is based on the organization’s internal rules.”
“Our countries have borders recognized by the international community, the UN,” the MP added. “In this case, the fact that the Armenian MP called ancient Karabakh land as “artsakh” and announced in front of the whole organization the holding of “democratic elections” there is disrespect for both the organization’s members and 1.5 million of our compatriots who have been expelled for about 30 years from the initially Azerbaijani land of Karabakh and became refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs).”
“Most importantly, this statement contradicts the UN resolutions and human rights,” Aliyeva said. “Let’s not forget that “artsakh” mentioned by the Armenian colleagues isn’t recognized by any country, and even Armenia itself.”
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, 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 Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.