Baku, Azerbaijan, March 17
By Anakhanum Khidayatova – Trend:
Switzerland considers the upcoming “parliamentary election” in Nagorno-Karabakh illegitimate, Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) told Trend on Mar.17.
The FDFA said that in accordance with the principles of the international law and in full respect of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Azerbaijan, it considers the so-called election in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan on 3 May 2015 null and void.
“The FDFA reiterates that it is aware of the far-reaching consequences of the unresolved Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and continues to support the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group to overcome the conflict within the established formats,” said FDFA.
Earlier, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said that the “parliamentary election” scheduled by the separatist regime of Nagorno-Karabakh for May 3 violates Azerbaijani law and is aimed at undermining the negotiation process on the settlement of the conflict.
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.
Edited by SI
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