After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan has been recognized by UN and internationally within its borders, including Nagorno Karabakh. Armenia, the only country, which has not recognized Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, claiming independence for or unification with Nagorno Karabakh, started a conflict with Azerbaijan in 1988 and waged a full-fledged war in 1991.

The Armenian aggression resulted in occupation of Nagorno Karabakh and 7 other regions of Azerbaijan, leaving around one million Azerbaijanis as refugees and displaced people.

Even though the war ended with Russia-brokered cease-fire in 1994, it was the military assistance from Russia, including $1 billion in illegal arms transfers, which significantly contributed to Armenian “success”.

International community reacted to the occupation of Azerbaijani lands by four UN Security Council resolutions of 1993, (S/RES/822, S/RES/853, S/RES/874, S/RES/884) demanding withdrawal of Armenian forces from the occupied territories. NATO, OSCE and other international organizations also repeatedly called for restoration of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, which were ignored by Armenia.

This blunt disrespect to international law by Armenia, violations of its commitments before the international organizations, was once again reflected in a resolution 1416 and recommendation 1960 by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in February 2005. The resolution clearly stated that “considerable parts of the territory of Azerbaijan are still occupied by Armenian forces and separatist forces are still in control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region”. The recommendation, in its turn, urged the withdrawal of military forces from all occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

The United States has always recognized the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. “The United States does not recognize Nagorno-Karabakh as an independent country, and its leadership is not recognized internationally or by the United States. The United States supports the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and holds that the future status of Nagorno-Karabakh is a matter of negotiation between the parties”, says the latest fact sheet by the Department of State of January 2005.

As a co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group (functioning since 1992), the U.S. mediates the peace process, as well as ongoing talks between Presidents and Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia, and Azerbaijan remains committed to a peaceful resolution of the conflict, which preserves its territorial integrity.

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