Azerbaijani FM: Progress in Nagorno-Karabakh negotiations fully depends on Armenia’s position to change status quo

Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec. 7 / Trend E. Tariverdiyeva / The progress in the Nagorno-Karabakh negotiations fully depends on Armenia's position to change status quo, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said addressing the OSCE Ministerial Council meeting in Vilnius on Wednesday. "The status quo in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is unacceptable, however, unfortunately no progress in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement is observed, despite the OSCE mediation will mark its 20th anniversary next year," Mammadyarov said. Azerbaijan is a key player in the region, and threat to the country's territorial integrity will question the safety of the South Caucasus as a whole, he said. "Existence of unresolved conflicts in the OSCE space, including the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, undermines the authority and confidence to the organization," Mammadyarov said. He said good neighborly relations are guarantee of successful development of the entire region, and Azerbaijan is ready to make compromises within international norms to achieve peace and stability in South Caucasus. "Opening of borders in the region would make possible the successful development and prosperity of the South Caucasus," he said. 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. Do you have any feedback? Contact our journalist at agency@trend.az