Armenia and Azerbaijan are obliged to protect the environment in the Caucasus, despite the current conflict, Director of the United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP) Regional Office for Europe Christophe Bouvier said in Baku today. He commented on the situation in connection with the arson of green space in the occupied Azerbaijani territories by the Armenians.
"The environment is under serious threat as a result of the conflict. Natural pearls of the region belong to all mankind. They should be protected and no conflict should affect it," Bouvier said.
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.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and the occupied territories.
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