Azernews.Az

Azerbaijan presented a protest note to Lithuanian Foreign Ministry in connection with an initiative of establishing a friendship group with separatist regime of Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijani Embassy in Lithuania told Trend news agency on Wednesday.

"This is an initiative of several pro-Armenian members of the Lithuanian Seimas and it lacks an official ground," the embassy said.

Azerbaijani Ambassador to Lithuania Hasan Mammadzade has met with the leadership of the Lithuanian Parliament and Foreign Ministry in this regard.

"At both meetings Lithuanian officials confirmed that the initiative is not the country's official position. Lithuania's official position on the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict remains unchanged - the country supports Azerbaijan's position in this issue," the embassy said.

At present, the embassy expects an official response to the note.

As Armenian media outlets reported, a group of members of Lithuanian Seimas adopted a declaration on the establishment of a friendship group with the so-called "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic" in the Lithuanian Seimas.

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 four U.N. Security Council resolutions on the liberation of Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.