EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT PRESIDENT URGES ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN TO SPEED UP KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT
YEREVAN, January 10. /ARKA/. President of the European Parliament
Martin Schulz urged today Armenia and Azerbaijan leaders to speed up
Karabakh conflict settlement.
Schulz was quoted by RIA Novosti as saying at his meeting with
Armenian National Assembly Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan in Brussels that
the conflicting sides should refrain from statements which can escalate
tension, RIA Novosti reports.
Karabakh conflict broke out in 1988 when Karabakh, mainly populated
by Armenians, declared its independence from Azerbaijan.
On December 10, 1991, a few days after the collapse of the Soviet
Union, a referendum took place in Nagorno-Karabakh, and the majority
of the population (99.89%) voted for secession from Azerbaijan.
Afterwards, large-scale military operations began. As a result,
Azerbaijan lost control over Nagorno-Karabakh and the seven regions
adjacent to it.
Some 30,000 people were killed in this war and about one million
people fled their homes.
On May 12, 1994, the Bishkek cease-fire agreement put an end to the
military operations.
Since 1992, talks brokered by OSCE Minsk Group are being held over
peaceful settlement of the conflict. The group is co-chaired by USA,
Russia and France. -0-
YEREVAN, January 10. /ARKA/. President of the European Parliament
Martin Schulz urged today Armenia and Azerbaijan leaders to speed up
Karabakh conflict settlement.
Schulz was quoted by RIA Novosti as saying at his meeting with
Armenian National Assembly Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan in Brussels that
the conflicting sides should refrain from statements which can escalate
tension, RIA Novosti reports.
Karabakh conflict broke out in 1988 when Karabakh, mainly populated
by Armenians, declared its independence from Azerbaijan.
On December 10, 1991, a few days after the collapse of the Soviet
Union, a referendum took place in Nagorno-Karabakh, and the majority
of the population (99.89%) voted for secession from Azerbaijan.
Afterwards, large-scale military operations began. As a result,
Azerbaijan lost control over Nagorno-Karabakh and the seven regions
adjacent to it.
Some 30,000 people were killed in this war and about one million
people fled their homes.
On May 12, 1994, the Bishkek cease-fire agreement put an end to the
military operations.
Since 1992, talks brokered by OSCE Minsk Group are being held over
peaceful settlement of the conflict. The group is co-chaired by USA,
Russia and France. -0-