Speaker: Azerbaijan stands for peaceful settlement of Karabakh conflict

Azerbaijan has always been advocating peaceful settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Azerbaijani Parliament Speaker Ogtay Asadov said during the plenary session of the Milli Majlis (parliament) of the country Apr. 15, Trend reports.

However, Azerbaijani armed forces proved that they are able to resolve the conflict in a military way as well during the recent developments on the contact line of the troops, he said.

Recall, on the night of April 2 all frontier positions of Azerbaijan were exposed to heavy fire from large-caliber weapons, mortars, grenade launchers and guns. In addition, Azerbaijani settlements near the front line, densely populated by civilians, were shelled.

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% 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 withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.