German MP: Armenian military forces must withdraw from Azerbaijan’s lands
Armenian military forces must withdraw from Azerbaijan's occupied territories, Bundestag member (CDU/CSU), Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Former Federal Minister of Economy Michael Glos has said responding to a question on Armenia's illegal plans to open Khojaly airport in Nagorno-Karabakh -- an Azerbaijani region under Armenian occupation.
This was told Trend news agency by the European Azerbaijan Society on Monday.
"The UN-Security Council has stated in three resolutions that Nagorno-Karabakh and the other surrounding regions occupied by Armenia belong to the Republic of Azerbaijan," the German MP said. "This is an unequivocal position which is shared by the Federal Republic of Germany."
"The principle of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity must not be called into question. Otherwise, the refugees would wait in vain for their return. The territories which have been occupied by Armenian military forces are home of the refugees. The military must withdraw from them immediately," he said.
Glos noted that the regional significance of Azerbaijan is particularly reflected at European Union level. The Association Agreement with the European Union has been in negotiation since 2010.
"Furthermore, the region is important for European and German energy security. Resolution of the conflict... would be a tremendous contribution to stability and security," he said.
Gloss believes the peace process is so difficult that mutual trust between the parties to the conflict has been undermined.
"Currently there is tension over the planned re-opening of Khojaly airport. The purpose is to support Armenia's claim to Nagorno-Karabakh, fueling the conflict rather than finding a solution," he said.
Earlier, Armenian media reported on the commissioning of the airport at Khojaly in the near future.
Commissioning the airport is an open violation of the Convention on International Civil Aviation [adopted on December 7, 1944 in Chicago], the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry reported earlier.
Azerbaijan banned the use of the airspace over Nagorno-Karabakh occupied by Armenia, as no one can guarantee a safe air corridor in the area, the head of the Azerbaijani Civil Aviation Administration, Arif Mammadov said earlier.
He said Armenia's steps towards the operation of the airport are attempts to violate international aviation law. This air space belongs to Azerbaijan, so its use by Armenia is illegal.
The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the European Civil Aviation Conference (ICAC) also support the position of Azerbaijan on this issue.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France and the U.S. - are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.