On behalf of the Azerbaijani foreign ministry, the Azerbaijani embassy in Russia is investigating an issue connected with the possible visit of a group of Russian bikers to the Azerbaijani territories occupied by Armenia, spokesman for the Azerbaijani foreign ministry Hikmet Hajiyev told Trend July 28.
A group of Russian bikers intends to visit Nagorno-Karabakh, the Armenian media reported earlier.
“The Azerbaijani foreign ministry reminds that the illegal visit to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan is the violation of the law on "State Border" and the Migration Code,” Hajiyev said.
“Such actions are the disrespect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty, the internationally recognized borders of Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijani refugees and internally displaced persons who have been ethnically cleansed.”
“The individuals who have made illegal visits to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan at the instigation of Armenia and the Armenian lobby must be aware of their political, legal and moral responsibility,” he said.
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.
Trend