Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister, Ali Hasanov has said the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs should make a decision in connection with the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

"The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs often talk about the necessity of mutual trust. If so, then why do not they meet with IDPs in Azerbaijan during their visits to the region?" Hasanov, who is also the Chairman of the State Committee for Refugee and IDP Affairs and Chairman of the Republican Commission for International Humanitarian Assistance, said.

Hasanov noted that the IDPs would return to the occupied territories, therefore mutual trust must refer specifically to them.

"Only once - in 2001, the co-chairs met with IDPs from Aghdam region," he said.

Hasanov further said he doesn't expect any results from the co-chairs' recent visit to Azerbaijan's occupied Lachin and Kalbajar regions.

"The OSCE fact-finding mission made several visits to the region in 2005 and 2010 and recorded only one fact regarding the resettlement of Armenians in the occupied territories. Now, perhaps, they will come and see the resettlement of Syrian Armenians in those territories. But what does it change? The co-chairs should make a decision on the settlement of the conflict," Hasanov said.

Armenia and Azerbaijan fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a fragile ceasefire in 1994. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.

Since a lengthy war, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. Armenia continues the occupation in defiance of four UN Security Council resolutions calling for immediate and unconditional withdrawal.

Peace talks brokered by mediators from Russia, France and the U.S. have produced no results so far.