Nagorno-Karabakh conflict threatens regional security

/By AzerNews/

By Sara Rajabova

Pakistani envoy said the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict threatens regional security.

Khalid Usman Qaiser, Pakistan’s ambassador to Azerbaijan made the remark at an event dedicated to the Kashmir Solidarity Day, which is celebrated on February 5. Azerbaijan and Pakistan stand for resolving the conflicts peacefully, he stressed.

Speaking about the similarities of the Nagorno-Karabakh and Kashmir conflicts, Qaiser said the similarity is that the UN Security Council resolutions are not fulfilled regarding these conflicts.

“The international law principles are violated. The people are resettled. The religious monuments are desecrated. The cultural heritage is destroyed. The ceasefire is violated. The attempts are made to change the demographic structure of the occupied territories,” Qaiser said.

He further noted that Pakistan has always supported and will continue supporting Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict’s settlement.

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, Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions.

The Kashmir dispute is the most acute, conflict and intractable issue for India and Pakistan over the past 60 years. The tense situation persists up until now with periodic terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, taking hostages and killing, as well as armed clashes along the India-Pakistan border.

Pakistan was among of the first countries that recognized the independence of Azerbaijan on December 12, 1991. The diplomatic relations between the two countries were established on June 9, 1992. The Pakistan Embassy to Azerbaijan was opened on March 12, 1993.

Azerbaijani Embassy to Pakistan was opened on August 24, 1997.

Pakistan and Azerbaijan enjoy good relations in various spheres. Pakistan supported Azerbaijan during and after the Nagorno-Karabakh War and it is the only country that does not recognize Armenia.