Israeli ambassador to Azerbaijan Dan Stav believes that the best way to solve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is through direct negotiations between the two sides.
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.
"I fully understand the importance that Azerbaijan attaches to the solution of Nagorno Karabakh conflict," he told Trend. "After all, this is about 20 percent of Azerbaijani territories, Karabakh and 7 surrounding districts."
Stav said that Israel itself is involved in conflicts, and has been able to solve some of them.
"We are also aware of that for more than 20 years the international involvement hasn’t yielded any results," he said. "We also understand the price of conflict for human life, both for Azerbaijan and Armenia."
What is needed, according to Stav, is a constructive, result-oriented dialogue, not just for the sake of dialogue. The ambassador further expressed hope that both sides will be able to find an acceptable solution to the existing conflict.
Trend