Pakistan does not recognize Armenia as state until it fulfills UN resolutions on Karabakh
By Rashid Shirinov
Pakistan condemns the occupation of Azerbaijani territories by Armenia and refuses to recognize Armenia as a state, Trend quoted Deputy Chairman of Pakistan’s Senate Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri.
He made the remarks at an international conference titled “2017 – Year of Islamic Solidarity: Interfaith and Intercultural Dialogue,” which kicked off in Baku on December 21.
Haideri noted that his country will stand on its position until Armenia fulfills UN resolutions on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, because Pakistan attaches great importance to fraternal relations with Azerbaijan.
Pakistan backed Azerbaijan during and after the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh war, and it is the only country that does not recognize Armenia as a state. Pakistan also adopted a resolution strongly condemning the genocide against Azerbaijani civilians in Khojaly town in Nagorno-Karabakh, which was committed by the Armenian armed forces.
Armenia captured Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions from Azerbaijan in a war that followed the Soviet breakup in 1991. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and nearly 1 million were displaced as a result of the war.
Large-scale hostilities ended with a Russia-brokered ceasefire in 1994 but Armenia continued the occupation in defiance of four UN Security Council resolutions calling for immediate and unconditional withdrawal.
Peace talks mediated by Russia, France and the U.S. within the OSCE Minsk Group have produced no tangible results so far.
---
Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov
Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz