Azernews.Az

OSCE mediators brokering settlement to the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh have issued a statement regarding the so-called parliamentary elections held on Sunday by the Armenia-backed separatist regime in Azerbaijan’s occupied Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh region.
"Although the co-chairs understand the need for the de facto authorities in Upper Garabagh to try to organize democratically the public life of their population with such a procedure, they underscore again that Nagorno Garabagh is not recognized as an independent and sovereign state by any of their three countries, nor by any other country, including Armenia," the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs - Bernard Fassier of France, Robert Bradtke of the United States and Igor Popov of Russia – said Monday.
The co-chairs consider that "this procedure should not preempt" the determination of the final legal status of Upper Garabagh in the broader framework of the peaceful settlement of the long-standing conflict.
The United Nations has also said it does not recognize the outcome of the "elections" that have no legal effect whatsoever, affirming that Upper Garabagh is an integral part of Azerbaijan, according to a letter sent by its Secretary-General to the Azerbaijani representation at the UN.
Ethnic Armenians in Upper Garabagh, backed by Armenia, declared so-called independence in fighting that erupted as the Soviet Union headed towards its 1991 collapse. The Armenians invaded Upper Garabagh and seven surrounding Azeri districts before a cease-fire was declared in 1994. Some 30,000 people were killed and a million Azeris ousted from their homes as a result of the Armenian aggression. The Armenian armed forces continue occupying a part of Azerbaijani land, despite four standing UN resolutions calling for their unconditional pullout.*