'Armenian armed forces should be withdrawn from occupied Azerbaijani lands'

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov has received a delegation headed by Deputy Foreign Minister, Swiss Secretary of State Yves Rocher, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said today.

The sides have expressed satisfaction with the relations and stressed the importance of strengthening the legal framework between the two countries.

Elmar Mammadyarov has informed Secretary of State about regional energy projects and Azerbaijan's role in ensuring Europe's energy security.

While informing the guest about the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Mammadyarov stressed the importance of changing the status quo and added that it is necessary to withdraw the Armenian armed forces from the occupied Azerbaijani territories to resolve the conflict. He emphasized that the negotiations must be conducted to achieve a specific result.

He noted that withdrawing the Armenian forces from the occupied Azerbaijani territories will create broad opportunities for conflict settlement.

Mammadyarov said that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is not a frozen conflict. He stressed the importance of conducting significant operations to resolve this conflict to ensure peace in the region.

The sides have stressed the importance of the meetings between the Azerbaijani and Armenian communities of Nagorno-Karabakh.

They have added that Azerbaijan's position is based on international law.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. - are currently holding the peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.


/Trend/