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Azerbaijani Embassy in Iran Investigates Iranian Citizens’ Military Service in Nagorno-Karabakh

Politics Materials 10 September 2007 15:17 (UTC +04:00)
Azerbaijani Embassy in   Iran Investigates Iranian Citizens’ Military Service in Nagorno-Karabakh

Azerbaijan, Baku / Тrend corr S. Aghayeva / Azerbaijani Embassy in Iran is investigating the issue on Iranian citizens' military service in Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh region occupied by Armenia. The embassy was charged with the task by the Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry, according to the spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, Khazar Ibrahim.

Armenian religious organizations operating in Iran by deception send Iranian citizens of Iranian origin to the territories controlled by the separatists and make them serve in military subdivisions of fictitious Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, according to Iranian media. Iranian military men serving nearby the occupied Azerbaijani territories have recently detained two Armenians who passed the Iranian-Armenian border.

Both of the detained persons turned to be Iranian citizens residing in Isfaghan. One of them, Mikhek Teymuryan, said that he had gone to Nagorno-Karabakh falling under the propaganda spread by Armenian religious centre of Khalifagari-ye Arameni. According to him, the centre promises a land lot and a house in Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as necessary conditions for living in any European country, to each Armenian having served a year in the separatist army. Teymuryan said that he had served a year and a half in the separatist army but did not receive what he was promised.

"The problem should be thoroughly studied and only after that any comments will be possible," Azerbaijan Deputy Foreign Minister previously said to journalists. According to him, there are agreements between the two countries stipulating for no damage to each other.

Khalafov believes the Iranian side is observing the obligations.

The conflict between the two countries of South Caucasus began in 1988 due to territorial claims by Armenia against Azerbaijan. Armenia has occupied 20% of the Azerbaijani land including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven surrounding Districts. Since 1992, these territories have been under the occupation of the Armenian Forces. In 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which time the active hostilities ended. The Co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group ( Russia, France and USA) are currently holding peaceful negotiations.

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