Azernews.Az

Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov once again emphasized the necessity of ending the military occupation of Azerbaijani territories.

To resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Armenia should withdraw its armed forces from Azerbaijani lands and start a comprehensive political process, Azerbaijan's foreign minister said during his meeting with his Spanish counterpart Jose Manuel García-Margallo y Marfil on April 26.

Mammadyarov further briefed his Spanish counterpart about the recent developments on the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian armies, as well as the provocations staged by Armenian armed forces and the shelling of civilians.

Spain's foreign minister, for his part, noted that his country supports Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and sovereignty.

On the night of April 2, 2016, all the frontier positions of Azerbaijan were subjected to heavy fire from the Armenian side, which used large-caliber weapons, mortars and grenade launchers. The armed clashes resulted in deaths and injuries among the Azerbaijani population. Azerbaijan responded with a counter-attack, which led to liberation of several strategic heights and settlements.

Military operations were stopped on the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian armies on Apr. 5 at 12:00 (UTC/GMT + 4 hours) with the consent of the sides, Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry earlier said. Ignoring the agreement, the Armenian side again started violating the ceasefire.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries 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 districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

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