Switzerland says “parliamentary elections” in Nagorno-Karabakh illegitimate

/By AzerNews/

By Laman Sadigova

Switzerland considers the upcoming “parliamentary elections” in Nagorno-Karabakh illegitimate.

The Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs announced that in accordance with the principles of the international law and in full respect of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Azerbaijan, it considers the so-called election in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan on 3 May 2015 null and void.

“The FDFA reiterates that it is aware of the far-reaching consequences of the unresolved Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and continues to support the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group to overcome the conflict within the established formats,” the department told trend.

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry has earlier announced that the “parliamentary elections” scheduled by the separatist regime of Nagorno-Karabakh for May 3 violates Azerbaijani law and is aimed at undermining the negotiation process on the settlement of the conflict.

Armenia and Azerbaijan remain locked in a bitter territorial dispute over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which Armenia-backed separatists seized from Azerbaijan in a bloody war in the early 1990s.

Azerbaijan's internationally recognized Nagorno-Karabakh territory was turned into a battlefield and zone of aggravated tensions after Armenia sent its troops to occupy Azerbaijan's lands. As a result, 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory stands under military occupation. For the past two decades, and despite calls from the international community, Armenia has refused to withdraw its troops and retreat within its national borders.

The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the U.S. are currently holding peace negotiations.