Azernews.Az

By Akbar Mammadov

The Centrist Democrat International (CDI) has said that it does not recognize the so-called "elections" held in Azerbaijan’s occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region.

"In view of the so-called “presidential and parliamentary elections” held on March 31, 2020, in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, the Centrist Democrat International (CDI) wants to remind that the Nagorno-Karabakh has not been recognized by any country in the world", the organization said in a statement published in its official website on April 20.

CDI stressed that the holding of illegal elections in the Nagorno-Karabakh region does not contribute to the ongoing negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia to find a solution to the long-lasting conflict in the region.

"Underlining its continuous support and commitment to principles and norms of international law, the CDI confirms its recognition of sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan", the statement reads.

Accordingly, and in line with the statement by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, the CDI does not accept the results of these “elections”.

"Coinciding with the CDI approach to this very sensitive issue, the European Union reiterated in a sternly worded statement by the EEAS spokesperson that the move could hamper the progress of international negotiations on resolving the conflict", the statement further reads.

In conclusion, CDI stressed that it supports OSCE Minsk Group’s efforts aimed to find a peaceful and sustainable resolution of the conflict, and “encourages the parties involved to demonstrate a more constructive approach to the process with the ultimate goal of restoring safety in the region.”

It should be noted that the illegal elections held by the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh region on March 31 and April 14 have been condemned by the EU, NATO, PACE, OIC, GUAM and a number of other international organizations, as well as a number of countries, including the UK, Germany, Turkey, Italy, Ukraine, Georgia, Estonia, etc.

Nagorno-Karabakh is Azerbaijan’s breakaway region, which along with seven surrounding regions was occupied by Armenian forces in the war in the early 1990s. The peace negotiations mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group has not brought any results so far.

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Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97

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