TODAY.AZ / Politics

Czech Republic supports direct talks between parties to Karabakh conflict

21 July 2017 [14:19] - TODAY.AZ

By Azernews


By Rashid Shirinov

The Czech Republic considers it important to hold direct negotiations between the parties to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

Prague considers any military solution to the conflict unacceptable, Czech Ambassador to Azerbaijan Vitezslav Pivonka told Trend on July 20.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding regions. Today, Armenia still controls fifth part of Azerbaijan's territory and rejects implementing four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding regions.

Currently, the OSCE Minsk Group is working to find a peaceful solution to the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. While the Group acts as the only mediator in resolution of the conflict, it failed to make any move to achieve a breakthrough in the peace process so far.

“The Czech Republic, holding the same position as the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, supports a peaceful solution that will be based on a compromise reached by both conflicting sides and that will conform to the principles of international law,” said Pivonka.

The ambassador also added that the Czech Republic supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan has many times stated it is ready to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Armenia by peaceful means and through direct, substantive negotiations. However, Armenia is not interested in putting an end to the conflict. The country aims to preserve the inadmissible status quo in Nagorno-Karabakh for as long as possible.

Therefore, Armenian officials, to be exact, the president and foreign minister do their utmost to postpone the talks with Azerbaijan. Two conflicting sides seldom meet at the negotiations table although the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs and the co-chairing countries personally often propose to organize meetings between the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides.

Armenia is to blame for stalling the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and the international community must put pressure to the country in order to make it to come to substantive negotiations with Azerbaijan.

URL: http://www.today.az/news/politics/163415.html

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