Azernews.Az

Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian of Armenia, which has been occupying part of Azerbaijan’s territory for nearly two decades, has accused Azerbaijan of "occupation".
Nalbandian was quoted by the Novosti Armenii news agency as alleging that Azerbaijan has "invaded" parts of the Aghdara, Khojavand and Gulustan (formerly Shaumyan) regions in Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh, and suggested solving the problem, along with ensuring the return of Armenians there.
Nalbandian said the aftermath of the Garabagh conflict should be eliminated simultaneously with eliminating the root-causes of the problem. "These issues should be resolved through negotiations, by means of mutual consent and peacefully."
Nalbandian went as far as saying that "the Garabagh issue should be solved by the Upper Garabagh people", claiming that this was reflected in the joint statement issued at a G8 summit in Italy in July 2009 by the presidents of the United States, Russia and France, the countries brokering peace talks.
The Armenian minister maintained that Baku is impeding the peace process "by opposing Garabagh’s participation in negotiations", adding that without the self-proclaimed Upper Garabagh republic’s direct involvement in peace talks it would be impossible to move the conflict settlement forward.
20 percent of Azerbaijan’s territory, including Upper Garabagh and seven adjacent districts, has been under Armenian occupation for nearly two decades. Defying international law, the separatist regime in Upper Garabagh declared so-called independence in 1991, which has not been recognized by the world community.*