Nagorno Garabagh

Chair of Asociace Pro Modernizace, based in the Czech Republic, has made a statement about joining the Armenia-Azerbaijan Platform for Peace.

APA presents the statement:

“People are tired of the war. It is necessary to put an end to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan that has been lasting for over 25 years.

At the same time it is important to consider sovereignty, territorial integrity and internationally recognized borders of both Armenia and Azerbaijan. I would like to note that it is of great importance to solve the current conflict within international law, UN Charter, resolutions of UN Security Council and the activity of OSCE Minsk Group.

We witnessed friendship and peaceful coexistence of two nations 30 years ago. I express with regret that the perception of these nations has formed in the context of war. I reiterate my support to coexistence of both nations in peace and friendship, peaceful solution of the conflict, continuing for 25 years. Therefore, I want to express my support to the Armenia-Azerbaijan Platform for Peace, aimed at establishing and preserving peace in the South Caucasus.

Considering the above-mentioned reasons, on behalf of my organization, I hereby express my support for this initiative and join the Armenia-Azerbaijan Platform for Peace.

For the purpose of contributing to a peaceful settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Armenia-Azerbaijan Platform for Peace was established on December 6, 2016. The Platform is an initiative of the citizens of Azerbaijan and Armenia who wish to contribute to the peaceful settlement of the conflict.

The initiative on the creation of the Platform has generated the interest of the international community as well as attracted the high level of public attention in both conflicting states. A large number of well-known experts highly appreciated this initiative and stressed the very special role of the above-mentioned peacekeeping initiative in the process of the peaceful settlement of the conflict.

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 December 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.