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Azerbaijan’s Economy and Industry Ministry has prevented the release of business guides by Grant Thornton International, a US company engaged in audit and consulting services.

The business guides were meant to propagandize economic activity in the Armenia-occupied Azerbaijani lands, the ministry reported on October 19.

The managers of the company’s Azerbaijani office were invited to the ministry with regard to information that the company’s Armenian office plans to release the said publications.

“The company representatives were explained that under Azerbaijan’s national laws, an illegal activity in the occupied lands of Azerbaijan can be cause for a prosecution,” said the Economy and Industry Ministry.

The ministry said any economic activity in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan is unacceptable, and requested the Azerbaijani office’s managers to inform the company’s head office.

Along with that, a letter expressing the stance of Azerbaijan was sent to the company.

“Grant Thornton International has officially said that in the future it won’t conduct any promotional activities, release any business guides, materials and other publications on Nagorno-Karabakh,” the ministry added.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.

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