Russian envoy: CIS countries' heads try to assist in resolution of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
By Rashid Shirinov
The leaders of Belarus, Kazakhstan and other CIS countries try to contribute to the solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict by using their authority.
Russian Ambassador to Baku Vladimir Dorokhin made the remark while talking to reporters on December 20.
“Today, the OSCE Minsk Group is dealing with the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution, and only one country in this group is represented in CIS – it is Russia. However, the CIS is aware about this conflict," the ambassador said.
The envoy added that the position of the leaders of Belarus, Kazakhstan and other countries is known – they want to contribute to the solution of the conflict.
Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a fragile ceasefire in 1994. Since the war, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.
While the OSCE Minsk Group acted as the only mediator in resolution of the conflict, the occupation of the territory of the sovereign State with its internationally recognized boundaries has been left out of due attention of the international community for years.
Armenia ignores four UN Security Council resolutions on immediate withdrawal from the occupied territory of Azerbaijan, thus keeping tension high in the region.
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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov
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