Chatham House voices respect to Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity
By Sara Rajabova
The Royal Institute of International Affairs Chatham House voiced its respect to Azerbaijan’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity.
Robin Niblett, Director of Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs, answered questions posed by The European Azerbaijan Society regardinga visit to London by Bako Sahakyan, who claims to be the “president” of the so-called “Nagorno Karabakh Republic,” at the invitation of Chatham House in early July this year, TEAS told Trend.
Niblett noted that hosting this insignificant private meeting at Chatham House is in line with the procedures of this institute and by no means can be considered recognition or support for the so-called “Nagorno Karabakh Republic”.
He asserted that Chatham House respects Azerbaijan’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity.
Earlier, Azerbaijan expressed concernto the UK over the possible visit of the head of the separatist regime of Nagorno-Karabakh.
In his letter addressed to TEAS, Niblett highlighted that they are ready and willing to invite the representative of the Azerbaijani community of Nagorno-Karabakh to such events in future.
He also emphasized that the institute is always ready to provideconditions at Chatham House to hold negotiations with the officials of the Azerbaijanigovernment and to invite them to take part in different events.
For over two decades, Azerbaijan and Armenia have been locked in a conflict that emerged over Armenia's territorial claims against its South Caucasus neighbor. Since a war in the early 1990s, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions.
Following the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the separatist regime was established in Azerbaijan's occupied Nagorno-Karabakh regime.
A fragile ceasefire has been in place since 1994, but long-standing efforts by U.S., Russian, and French mediators have been largely fruitless so far.
Armenia has not yet implemented any of the four U.N. Security Council resolutions urging a pullout from its neighboring country's territories.
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Sara Rajabova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on
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