Today.Az » Politics » David Lidington : 'Way should be found way to solve Nagorno-Karabakh conflict'
24 April 2012 [10:33] - Today.Az
Nagorno-Karabakh problem is extremely important and it is necessary to
find a solution, the acting chairman of the Committee of Ministers of
the Council of Europe, a Briton, David Lidington said on the first
working day of the spring session of PACE.
The head of the Azerbaijani delegation Rafael Huseynov asked Lidington
how exactly can CoE Committee of Ministers affect Armenia to resolve the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Huseynov noted that there are a lot of IDPs and refugees, who are forced
to lead a tragic life due to the Armenian aggression against
Azerbaijan. "They have one simple request. They want the occupied
territories of Azerbaijan to be liberated and to return to their own
homes. And it is Armenia, which is more controlled from the outside and
has failed to fulfill one of the basic obligations before CoE, who
hinders the achievement of real results. In addition Armenia took the
obligation to solve the problem peacefully 11 years ago when joining the
Council of Europe. How exactly can CoE Committee of Ministers influence
on Armenia to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict?", he asked.
Lidington said this issue should be raised each time, because the
problem is very important and it is necessary to find ways to solve it.
"Indeed, it is OSCE Minsk Group who is directly charged with this
problem. However, it is also related to the duties of the Council of
Europe. Our duty is to create suitable conditions for reaching an
agreement between the parties. Do not forget that Armenia and Azerbaijan
were admitted into the CE and the commitment lies in the fact that the
issue should be resolved peacefully. In my opinion, the Committee of
Ministers should also exert maximum influence on the solution of the
problem" he said.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when
Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed
forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the
Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. - are
currently holding the peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.
/Trend/
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