Azerbaijan hopes for more understanding in talks on Karabakh conflict: FM

17 October 2018 15:48 (UTC+04:00)

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Azerbaijan hopes for more understanding in the talks on the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said in an interview with EURACTIV.

“I hope and I wish there will be more understanding, that without building a good neighborhood policy, there is no sustainable development, it’s as simple as it is. And the biggest part is for sure the withdrawal of Armenian troops from the occupied territory of Azerbaijan and the return of the internally displaced persons to their places of origin,” said the foreign minister.

They need to realize and recognize that without good neighborhood, the sustainable development of the country is impossible, added Mammadyarov.

“I think we made a pretty good progress in the negotiations even with the previous administration, but now there is a new one and probably they need a little bit more time to learn about what’s going on in the talks,” he said.

They need the educational process, to learn who is who and what is what, including in the negotiation process, added the foreign minister.

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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