Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

Switzerland hopes for significant progress in the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict during its chairmanship in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly next year, the newly appointed Swiss Ambassador to Azerbaijan Pascal Aebischer said on September 11.

Speaking at a meeting with Vice-Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament Bahar Muradova, Aebischer also said there is good groundwork for the development of economic relations between Switzerland and Azerbaijan.

In turn, Muradova praised the economic, humanitarian and cultural cooperation between the two countries.

The deputy speaker highlighted the activity of the Azerbaijani parliament and the preparations ahead of the upcoming presidential elections.

She also emphasized the importance of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Switzerland as part of international organizations, and hailed Switzerland's support for Azerbaijan within the OSCE PA.

"Our country approves of the balanced peaceful policy of Switzerland. We hope for your country's support in the steps on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," the deputy speaker said.

Muradova also thanked Switzerland for the assistance to Azerbaijan in solving the problems of refugees and IDPs.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict emerged in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since a lengthy war in the early 1990s that displaced over one million Azerbaijanis, Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions.

The UN Security Council has passed four resolutions on Armenian withdrawal from the Azerbaijani territory, but they have not been enforced to this day.