Azernews.Az

Azerbaijan is decisive in returning its occupied lands back and repatriating Azerbaijani refugees, Head of Azerbaijani Presidential Administration's Social and Political Department Ali Hasanov said in an interview with the Turkish Anadolu news agency.

"Azerbaijan will further demonstrate a decisive standpoint to liberate its lands and repatriate Azerbaijani refugees, who are forced to live in tents," Hasanov said, adding that if the situation doesn't change, other means will be put into action.

It is necessary to put pressure on Armenia to achieve a peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, he said.

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.