Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

Continuation of efforts to settle the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the elimination of the consequences of the Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan were the priorities in Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry’s activity for 2014.

The remarks made in the report of the Ministry on the results of the 2014 year, issued on January 15.

The Ministry’s priorities also included preventing external threats to Azerbaijan’s independence and sovereignty, and development of bilateral, regional and international relations.

“Protection of national interests, creation of equal relations in line with the norms and principles of international law, non-interference in the domestic affairs of other states remain as the main principles of Azerbaijan’s foreign policy,” the report read.

Numerous reciprocal official and state visits were carried out, the list of Azerbaijan’s diplomatic missions abroad was expanded and the work with international organizations continued in 2014, according the Ministry.

The ministry went on to note that the year 2014 is characterized by the growth of conflicts and escalation of tension in international relations, as well as a tendency to deepen the collapse of the military-political blocs.

“New flashpoints of tension, instability and conflict emerged near the borders of Azerbaijan, and a black PR campaign was conducted against Azerbaijan under the influence of certain circles. Despite all this, in 2014, the implementation of the country’s successful independent foreign policy continued,” the report reads.

Noting the negotiations on the peaceful settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict continued in 2014, the Ministry said during the high-level meetings held on the initiative of OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries, the sides were urged to start the work on the Great Peace Agreement.

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.

“Azerbaijan has repeatedly expressed readiness to start work on this agreement. Despite the existence of positive trends for the conflict’s settlement, Armenia continues to adhere to the non-constructive position,” the report reads.

The Ministry also stressed that Armenia purposefully and intensively violates the ceasefire in order to maintain the status quo, adding that Yerevan has held large-scale military exercises on Azerbaijan’s occupied territories.

Azerbaijan also continued its efforts to achieve the international recognition of the fact of occupation of its territories and to communicate to the world the truth about the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, according to the Ministry.

It also added that it will continue the efforts to achieve the release of Dilgam Asgarov and Shahbaz Guliyev, the Azerbaijanis taken hostage by Armenians in the Kalbajar region.

Armenian special forces killed Azerbaijani citizen Hasan Hasanov and took hostage Shahbaz Guliyev and Dilgam Asgarov in the Shaplar village of the occupied Kelbajar region on July 11. The civilians were visiting the graves of their relatives. The Armenians have put on trial on October 27 the two Azerbaijanis, who were captured in their native lands by the Armenian separatists.

Despite repeated calls by the international organizations and foreign countries on Armenia to return the captives back to their country, nothing has been made in this regard so far.