Recently the co-chairmen make statements regarding solution of the conflict and determination of status of Nagorno-Karabakh through referendum. The French co-chairman of the Minsk Group Bernard Fassier said at the international forum in Vienna in March that for the solution of the conflict, the territories, which are controlled by the armed forces of Armenia, must be liberated, and referendum on the status of Nagorno-Karabakh must be held in 10-15 years.
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.
Conducting referendum was defined as the principle, which was proposed to the conflicting sides by the co-chairmen, Merzylakov said.
"This will be the will of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh, after the sides will agree upon the modalities of this of voting," Merzylakov said.
The voting will be attended by all population of Nagorno-Karabakh, who lived there before the beginning of the conflict. The question of participation of the Azerbaijan population of Nagorno-Karabakh, who were expelled from there from the moment of the beginning of conflict, has not been decided yet. "We work over this issue, and the formulation of the principle, with which both sides agree is necessary," Russian diplomat said.
The head of the foreign relations department of the Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan, Novruz Mammadov, said that firstly the Azerbaijani occupied regions around Nagorno-Karabakh must be liberated for the conflict settlement.
"In the next stage, the Nagorno-Karabakh problem must be solved within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. Later, the question of status must be presented to discussions. In actuality, these are not only our position, but also the condition of the fair solution of the problem in accordance with the international law," he told Trend News earlier.
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