AFFA protests presence of “Nagorno-Karabakh” soccer team in world championship
By Sara Rajabova
Azerbaijan has protested the presence of a football team of "Nagorno-Karabakh" separatist regime in the world championship.
The Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan (AFFA) has filed a complaint with the Confederation of Independent Football Federations (ConiFA) about the participation of the football team from the separatist regime in the world championship.
ConiFA said the first World Cup of unrecognized countries will be held on June 1-8. The football team of the separatist "Nagorno-Karabakh" has also been invited. In this regard, AFFA has sent a letter of protest to ConiFA.
"The separatist regime was created on Azerbaijani territory occupied by Armenia and it has not been recognized by any international organization or the country," AFFA said.
Letters of protest were also sent to the Swedish Football Federation where the championship will be held, as well as to FİFA.
Armenia captured Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding districts from Azerbaijan in a war that followed the Soviet breakup in 1991. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and nearly 1 million were displaced as a result of the war.
Large-scale hostilities ended with a Russia-brokered ceasefire in 1994 but Armenia continued the occupation in defiance of four UN Security Council resolutions calling for immediate and unconditional withdrawal.
Peace talks mediated by Russia, France and the US have produced no results so far.