Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

Azerbaijan’s defense minister and a representative from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe have discussed the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Zakir Hasanov met Robert Walter, rapporteur of the PACE committee on political affairs and democracy for the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in Baku on September 15, the defense ministry reported.

Hasanov informed the rapporteur on the current military and political situation in the region, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, noting that more than one million Azerbaijanis have been refugees and IDPs for more than 20 years.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict emerged in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since a lengthy war in the early 1990s that displaced over one million Azerbaijanis, the Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions.

Hasanov said Armenia continues to aggressively violate the norms and principles of international law, and spoke of the reasons that have increased tensions on the contact line of Armenian-Azerbaijani troops.

Walter recalled his visit to Azerbaijan earlier this year to work on a report on the escalation of violence in the conflict zone, saying his request to visit the line of contact was welcomed positively.

PACE reported that Walter is expected to carry out a fact-finding mission to the contact line in the Nagorno-Karabakh region on September 15-16.

Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov also met with the PACE rapporteur on the same day.

The sides thoroughly discussed the settlement process of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and Armenia’s aggression towards Azerbaijan.

Mammadyarov said the international community accepts a phased settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as a possible means of resolution.

Peace talks over the long-lasting Nagorno-Karabakh conflict are underway on the basis of the Madrid principles, proposed by the Minsk Group co-chairs. However, as Armenia continues to follow an unconstructive position, the negotiations have been largely fruitless so far despite the efforts of the co-chair countries over 20 years.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on its pullout from the neighboring country's territories so far.

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Sara Rajabova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @SaraRajabova

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