Minister: Australia supports Azerbaijan's position on Karabakh

By Azernews

By Rashid Shirinov

Australia supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, as well as the country's position on the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Minister for International Development and the Pacific Concetta Fierravanti-Wells said on June 11.

She made the statement at an event dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Australia.

The minister noted that Australia supports the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

"We urge all parties to observe the ceasefire regime and avoid escalating the situation," she added.

Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with signing of a fragile ceasefire in 1994. Since the war, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.

While the OSCE Minsk Group acted as the only mediator in resolution of the conflict, the occupation of the territory of the sovereign state with its internationally recognized boundaries has been left out of due attention of the international community for years.

Armenia ignores four UN Security Council resolutions on immediate withdrawal from the occupied territory of Azerbaijan, thus keeping tension high in the region.