Egypt says holds principled stance on Karabakh conflict

Shoukry made the remarks Nov. 2 during his meeting with Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry told Trend Nov. 2.

Mammadyarov is on an official visit in Egypt.

"Egypt wants the restoration of sustainable peace and stability in the region,” said Shoukry.

In turn Mammadyarov said the support by Egypt to Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and the country’s position on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict’s settlement by peaceful means in line with the UN Security Council resolutions and with the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group (MG) are welcomed.

The Azerbaijani minister informed his counterpart about the situation around the conflict’s settlement and noted that the conflict must be resolved only in line with international norms and principles based on the UNSC resolutions within Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and internationally recognized borders.

"Armenia continues to impede the progress in the negotiation process by its destructive position and provocative actions,” added Mammadyarov.

The minister also noted that the presidents of the OSCE MG co-chairing countries – the US, Russia and France – consider the current status quo as unacceptable and unsustainable, and as the forceful violation of internationally recognized borders.

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 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.