Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 20
Trend:
Armenia will continue making efforts to resolve the issue connected with the helicopter shot down by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces diplomatically, Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan said Nov. 20.
"Other variants remain in force," he said.
"Armenia still prefers the path of diplomacy," Ohanyan was quoted by Armenpress agency Nov. 20.
An Armenian Mi-24 military helicopter flying 1,700 meters northeast of the Kengerli village of Azerbaijan's Aghdam district attacked the Azerbaijani army positions on Nov. 12. The Azerbaijani side shot down the helicopter. The wreckage of the downed helicopter fell on an area located 500 meters away from the frontline.
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.
edited by CN