BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 18. The former Karabakh conflict has affected not only the Caucasus but also the Eurasian space, Colonel-General Ramil Usubov, Secretary of the Security Council of Azerbaijan, said in an article published in the official press, Trend reports.
"This conflict was not only a place of intersection, but sometimes a clash of contradictions and interests related to Azerbaijan and Armenia, or the Caucasus. I must say that some superpowers and multinational companies with interests in the region pursued their economic and political interests in connection with this problem," he said.
"And from this point of view, as the head of state noted, for many decades, instead of contributing to the negotiation process, these forces deliberately delayed its solution and created artificial obstacles. The victorious Supreme Commander-in-Chief destroyed all these insidious plans with his determination," he added.
Following over a month of military action to liberate its territories from Armenian occupation from late Sept. to early Nov. 2020, Azerbaijan has pushed Armenia to sign the surrender document. A joint statement on the matter was made by the Azerbaijani president, Armenia's PM, and the president of Russia.
A complete ceasefire and a cessation of all hostilities in the zone of the Karabakh conflict were introduced on Nov. 10, 2020.
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, the Armenian Armed Forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.