Spain supports peaceful solution of Karabakh conflict

Spain supports peaceful settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan NagornoKarabakh conflict on the basis of international law, Charge d'affaires ad interim of Spanish embassy in Baku Ignacio Sanchez Taboada told Trend on November 27.

“Spain supports the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group and its cochairs for the solution of the conflict,” he said.

The diplomat noted that Madrid Principles represent the guidelines for solving the conflict and also the stance of Spain regarding to it, which implies pacific solution of the conflict (non-use of force), respect of territorial integrity and international law and right to return for displaced persons.

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.

As a result of Armenia's armed invasion into Azerbaijan's legal territory, the two neighboring countries have remained locked in a bitter territorial dispute over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which Armenia-backed separatists seized from Azerbaijan in a bloody war in the early 1990s.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

Despite Baku's best efforts, peace in the occupied lands remains a mirage in the distance as Armenia refuses to comply with international law.