Prior to raising territorial issues Azerbaijan must return occupied parts of Nagorno-Karabakh - Shavarsh Kocharyan says
12.05.2016,
16:01
Prior to raising territorial issues Azerbaijan must first return the occupied parts of Nagorno-Karabakh – parts of Martuni and Martakert districts as well as the Shahumyan district entirely and recognize it as an independent state, a deputy Armenian foreign minister Shavarsh Kocharyan said today.
YEREVAN, May 12. /ARKA/. Prior to raising territorial issues Azerbaijan must first return the occupied parts of Nagorno-Karabakh – parts of Martuni and Martakert districts as well as the Shahumyan district entirely and recognize it as an independent state, a deputy Armenian foreign minister Shavarsh Kocharyan said today.
"By recognizing the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Azerbaijan would negotiate with an entity authorized to discuss such issues. Armenia can not solve them instead of Karabakh. Therefore, the recognition is the shortest way for Azerbaijan to achieve the desired goal," said Kocharyan.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict erupted into armed clashes after the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s as the predominantly Armenian-populated enclave of Azerbaijan sought to secede from Azerbaijan and declared its independence backed by a successful referendum. A truce was brokered by Russia in 1994, although no permanent peace agreement has been signed.
Since then, Nagorno-Karabakh and several adjacent regions have been under the control of Armenian forces of Karabakh. Nagorno-Karabakh is the longest-running post-Soviet era conflict and has continued to simmer despite the relative peace of the past two decades, with snipers causing tens of deaths a year.-0-
"By recognizing the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Azerbaijan would negotiate with an entity authorized to discuss such issues. Armenia can not solve them instead of Karabakh. Therefore, the recognition is the shortest way for Azerbaijan to achieve the desired goal," said Kocharyan.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict erupted into armed clashes after the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s as the predominantly Armenian-populated enclave of Azerbaijan sought to secede from Azerbaijan and declared its independence backed by a successful referendum. A truce was brokered by Russia in 1994, although no permanent peace agreement has been signed.
Since then, Nagorno-Karabakh and several adjacent regions have been under the control of Armenian forces of Karabakh. Nagorno-Karabakh is the longest-running post-Soviet era conflict and has continued to simmer despite the relative peace of the past two decades, with snipers causing tens of deaths a year.-0-
