Azernews.Az

BAKU – Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev told the United Nations on  Thursday that the ongoing armed conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia poses a threat to peace and security in the region and the entire world.

Addressing the UN General Assembly session in New York, President Aliyev reminded that the Nagorno Karabakh conflict has resulted in the occupation of one-fifth of Azerbaijan’s territory by Armenia and one out of nine Azerbaijanis have become displaced persons.

Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a cease-fire in 1994, but Armenia continues to occupy Nagorno Karabakh and seven other Azerbaijani districts in defiance of international law. Despite numerous rounds of OSCE-brokered negotiations, peace talks have been fruitless so far and refugees remain stranded.

President Aliyev said Armenia has pursued a policy of ethnic cleansing in the Azerbaijani lands and is trying to heighten tensions instead of seeking a suitable solution to the long-standing dispute.

"Despite continuing political endeavors, international law violations are increasing in Azerbaijan’s occupied territories, the current status quo there is disrupted and the consequences of the ethnic cleansing policy persist. All this is posing major obstacles to a peaceful settlement of the conflict. Instances of [illegal] settlements have been encouraged in the occupied territories since the conflict erupted."

Regarding the destruction of Azerbaijani historical and cultural monuments in the occupied lands, Aliyev said Armenia aims to wipe out Azerbaijani historical and cultural traces.

"Not a single Azerbaijani historical or cultural monument remains in the occupied lands and not a single shrine has escaped vandalism."

The president said a swift resolution of the armed conflict in Nagorno Karabakh and its surrounding regions remains a priority for Azerbaijan.

"The [mediating] OSCE Minsk Group’s co-chair countries have stepped up their efforts aimed at bringing peace and well-being to the region. The resolutions passed on the conflict urge a withdrawal of the Armenian forces from the occupied territories over a designated time frame; restoration of all communications; a return of the refugees and displaced persons to their native lands; determination of the autonomy status for Nagorno Karabakh; and stationing of peacekeeping forces in the region. We are ready to continue negotiating on a final status of Nagorno Karabakh within Azerbaijan."