Azerbaijan, Baku, 27 June / Trend corr I. Alizade/ The head of the Azerbaijani community of Nagorno-Karabakh Nizami Bahmanov calls on OSCE Minsk Group's co-chairmen to impact Armenia to settle Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. "Co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group must direct Armenia to fulfil the requirements of the Resolution on the situation in the occupied territory of Azerbaijan which was passed at the UN General Assembly," Bahmanov said to Trend on 27 June.
On 14 March, 2008, UN General Assembly passed an Azerbaijan-presented Resolution on the situation in the occupied territory of Azerbaijan. The document urges for immediate, full and unconditional withdrawal of Armenia's forces from all occupied territories of Azerbaijan.
On 26 June, Minsk Group co-chairmen's visit to the region began. On 27 June, they met with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov. They will visit Armenia and onwards Nagorno-Karabakh.
The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus began in 1988 due to Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan lost the Nagorno-Karabakh, except of Shusha and Khojali, in December 1991. In 1992-93, Armenian Armed Forces occupied Shusha, Khojali and Nagorno-Karabakh's seven surrounding regions. In 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which time the active hostilities ended. The sides are still holding peaceful but fruitless negotiations.
OSCE Minsk Group, co-chairmen of which are USA, Russia and France, is mediating in peace settlement of the conflict.
Bahmanov said the limit to extent time by Minsk Group has expired. He said Azerbaijani Community of Nagorno-Karabakh opposes Minks Group co-chairmen's visit to Nagorno-Karabakh. "Armenian community of Nagorno-Karabakh has no lever to impact the negotiation process. Therefore, Minks Group co-chairs' visit to the occupied territory of Azerbaijan has no importance. These visits show that Russia is still sticking to its former position and they are of manipulation character," said Bahmanov.
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