Azerbaijan, Baku, Sept. 27 / Trend U.Sadikhova /
The foreign ministers of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) at the annual meeting in New York condemned the aggression of Armenia against Azerbaijan and called for the resolution of the conflict on the basis of respect for the territorial integrity and inviolability of the internationally recognized borders of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
The meeting also expressed its grave concern by forced demographic changes, interference with property rights, inadequate protection of the cultural heritage and sacred sites in the Nagorno-Karabakh region and other occupied territories of Azerbaijan.
OIC was established in 1969 and brings together 57 Muslim states, as well as the Palestine Liberation Organization. The OIC headquarters is located in Jeddah. It has observer status at the UN and ranks second in the world in terms of participating countries.
The OIC foreign ministers reaffirmed in this regard its principled support to the efforts of Azerbaijan, including within the United Nations General Assembly, aimed at ensuring respect for international humanitarian law and international human rights law in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. - are currently holding the peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.
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