Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 12
By Anakhanum Khidayatova – Trend:
The UK Ambassador to Azerbaijan Irfan Siddiq regrets that PACE Rapporteur Robert Walter (UK) was not allowed to visit Armenia-occupied Azerbaijani territory of Nagorno Karabakh.
To prepare the “Escalation of violence in Nagorno-Karabakh and the other occupied territories of Azerbaijan" report, Walter earlier visited Azerbaijan, but was unable to visit Armenia and the Nagorno-Karabakh region because of the Armenian side.
Ambassador Siddiq added that only by engaging directly with all communities it will be possible to find a lasting peaceful resolution to Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
"It is in the interests of all sides to encourage contact with all communities affected by the ongoing conflict in the South Caucasus, ” Ambassador told Trend on Oct 12.
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.
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