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Azerbaijan: Sargsyanâ€™s statement implies Armenia quits Karabakh talks

21 November 2016 10:45 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Malahat Najafova – APA. The recent statement by Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan implies that Armenia is quitting the negotiations over the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Bahar Muradova, vice-speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament, told reporters on Monday.

Earlier, Sargsyan told Sputnik agency that he wishes to see Nagorno-Karabakh either independent or annexed to Armenia.

Azerbaijan’s position on this issue is clear, the vice-speaker said, noting that Azerbaijan won’t allow a second Armenian state to be created in its lands.

“Azerbaijan won’t allow a handful of its lands to be seized. Sargsyan’s messages could a sweet dream,” said Muradova, adding. “Never will the world allow those territories to be seized from Azerbaijan and annexed to Armenia, or to become independent, either.”

She said these are the principles Azerbaijan is fighting for and these are the principles Azerbaijan sticks to in talks with Armenia.

“After making that statement, Sargsyan had better announce Armenia has quitted the talks, which take place with respect for the principles of territorial integrity and border inviolability,” said the vice-speaker and stressed that this statement runs contrary to the essence of negotiations.

“Considering the upcoming meeting of foreign ministers who will discuss organizing the next meeting of the presidents, Sargsyan has actually announced his quitting the talks,” added Muradova.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict entered its modern phase when the Armenian SRR made territorial claims against the Azerbaijani SSR in 1988.

A fierce war broke out between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. As a result of the war, Armenian armed forces occupied some 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory which includes Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent districts (Lachin, Kalbajar, Aghdam, Fuzuli, Jabrayil, Gubadli and Zangilan), and over a million Azerbaijanis became refugees and internally displaced people.

The military operations finally came to an end when Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in Bishkek in 1994.

Dealing with the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is the OSCE Minsk Group, which was created after the meeting of the CSCE (OSCE after the Budapest summit held in Dec.1994) Ministerial Council in Helsinki on 24 March 1992. The Group’s members include Azerbaijan, Armenia, Russia, the United States, France, Italy, Germany, Turkey, Belarus, Finland and Sweden.

Besides, the OSCE Minsk Group has a co-chairmanship institution, comprised of Russian, the US and French co-chairs, which began operating in 1996.

Resolutions 822, 853, 874 and 884 of the UN Security Council, which were passed in short intervals in 1993, and other resolutions adopted by the UN General Assembly, PACE, OSCE, OIC, and other organizations require Armenia to unconditionally withdraw its troops from Nagorno-Karabakh.