The contemporary Azerbaijani statehood takes its roots back
from the Kingdom of Caucasian Albania. The area presently known as
Nagorno-Karabakh (Mountainous Karabakh) was a part of that Kingdom
since its formation. According to the Antic sources there were 26
tribal unions in Albania, ethnic composition of which was
autochthonous Caucasian and Turkic. Albania with its autocephalous
church possessed a rich and unique culture, where alphabet in use
was composed of 52 letters. In a year 313 A.D. Christianity was
confirmed as a state religion in Albania. Turbulent situation did
not let it to keep its independence for a long time. In a year 705
A.D. the Kingdom was totally subordinated to the Arab Khalifat.
After this, the Khalifat having an alliance with Armenians against
Byzantium, with the aim of elimination of the close relations
between Albania and Byzantium, subjugated Albanian Church to the
Armenian Grigorian Church.
Throughout the Middle Ages, Karabakh always was part of the
state formations existed in the territory of present Azerbaijan led
by Turkic Muslim dynasties and inhabited by Turkic speaking people.
18th century was marked with an establishment of the Karabakh
Khanate, which was headed by the Turkic (Azerbaijani) dynasty of
Djavanshirs. This was the Azerbaijani Khanate ruled by the
hereditary dynastic tradition of Azerbaijani nobles, predominantly
populated by ethnic Azerbaijanis.
A rule of Russian Empire was imposed on the Khanate after the
signature of the Treaty of Kurakchay (1805) between the Khan of
Karabakh and the Russian Empire. After the take-over of the overall
Caucasian region, the Russian Empire pursued divide et impera policy
through different means with a view to establishing and
strengthening its total control. Enforced change of demographic
situation in the region by massive resettlement of the Armenians to
Karabakh from Persia and the Ottoman Empire was an extensive package
of measures of such kind. After the Russo-Iranian (1806-1813,
1826-1828) and Russo-Ottoman (1828-1829) wars the ethnic composition
of the region was substantially changed. Only during the period of
1828-1830 more than 40.000 Armenians from Persia and 84.600 from
Ottoman Empire were settled to Azerbaijan.
In 1828, by the order of the Russian Emperor, an Armenian
Oblast was formed in the territories of occupied Azerbaijani
Khanates (Irevan and Nakhchivan). This was done with the aim of
creating a buffer zone in the backyard of the Ottoman Empire and to
divide the Turkic speaking band into separate parts. Abolition of
the Albanian Church by the Russian Czar in 1836 resulted in ultimate
Grigorianization (Armenization) of the Albanian population.
1918
May 28 - Declaration of independence of the Azerbaijan
Democratic Republic (ADR). On the same day the independence of the
Republic of Armenia was declared;
May 29 - The government of ADR yielded the town of Irevan
(presently Yerevan, the 30% of population were people of different
ethnicities, including Armenians, whereas the 70% majority were
Azerbaijanis) to the Government of the Republic of Armenia, which
had declared its independence, but had no political center.
June 4 - The Batum Peace Treaty between the Ottoman Empire and
the three South-Caucasian republics (Armenia, Azerbaijan and
Georgia). The Ottoman Empire was the first state, which recognized
independence of the South-Caucasian republics. According to the
Treaty on the Armenian side signed by the Prime Minister of the
Dashnak Government, the borders of Armenia have been defined and
consequently the total area of this state was specified, as 10.000
sq. km. composed of Erivan and Echmiadzin districts with 400.000
residents. Naturally Karabakh was the part of the Azerbaijan
Democratic Republic;
June-July - Contrary to the agreed terms of peaceful and good
neighborly relations, Republic of Armenia began the large-scale
aggression against Azerbaijan. Occupation of the town of Nakhchivan,
massive attacks on Azerbaijani villages of Zangezur and Karabakh
resulted in devastation of 115 villages and killing of 7729
Azerbaijani civilians. Around 50.000 people were displaced from
their homelands;
1920
January 11 - De-facto recognition of independence of the
Republic of Azerbaijan by the Supreme Council of the Allied Nations;
April 27 - Occupation of Azerbaijan by the 11th Red Army of
Soviet Russia;
April 28 - Azerbaijan Democratic Republic ceased its existence
and the Soviet rule was established in Azerbaijan;
1921
July 5 - The Caucasian Bureau of the Central Committee of the
Communist Party of Russia (bolshevik) decided: "Proceeding from the
necessity to maintain peace between Moslems and Armenians, economic
ties between Highland and Lowland Karabakh, its uninterrupted ties
with Azerbaijan, to keep Mountainous Karabakh within the Azerbaijan
SSR and to grant broad regional autonomy."
At the same time with granting the right of self-rule to the
Armenians of the Mountainous Karabakh, predominantly Azerbaijani
populated regions of Zangezur and part of Kazakh district (in total
9.000 km?) was given to Armenia. In total, 20.000 km? Azerbaijani
territories had been given to Armenia in the Soviet years;
1923
July 7 - Decree of the Central Executive Committee of the
Communist Party of Azerbaijan SSR on "Formation of the Autonomous
Region in the Mountainous Karabakh with an administrative center in
Khankendi" (The name of the town was renamed from Khankendi to
Stepanakert after Stepan Shaumian, famous bolshevik leader, in
September 1923). At the same time, three hundred thousands of
Azerbaijanis who have lived in compact settlements in Armenia were
refused even cultural autonomy by the governments of both the USSR
and the Armenian SSR.
1948-1953
Azerbaijani population of Armenia always lived under pressure
and this resulted in massive organized deportation of Azerbaijanis
from Armenia. According to official data, more than fifty thousands
of Azerbaijanis from Armenia were resettled in the Kur-Araz lowlands
regions of Azerbaijan between the years of 1948-1953;
1987
November 18 - The statement of A. Aganbegian, the Kremlin
counselor, on expediency of uniting Mountainous Karabakh with the
Armenian SSR. This statement played a crucial role in firing
national hatred and fomenting the conflict;
November-December - Demonstrations calling to annex the
Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region (hereinafter - NKAR) of the
Azerbaijan SSR to the Armenian SSR were held in Yerevan (Armenia);
1988
January - Massive deportation of Azerbaijanis living in the
Armenian SSR to Azerbaijan. By decision of the authorities, these
refugees were settled in Baky and Sumgayit;
February - First victims of the conflict: two civilian
Azerbaijanis were killed in Askeran (Nagorno-Karabakh);
February 28-29 - Massive disorders in Sumgayit took place. As
a result 32 people were killed of different ethnicity, including
Armenians, Azerbaijanis and Russians. The group of criminals was led
by ethnic Armenian Eduard Grigorian who personally killed 5
Armenians and raped 6 Armenian women;
July 18 - The enlarged meeting of the Presidium of the Supreme
Soviet of the USSR confirmed NKAR as an integral part of the
Azerbaijan SSR;
November 27-29 - As a result of pogroms against Azerbaijani
civilians in the cities of Gugark, Spitak and Stepanavan of the
Armenian SSR, 33 people were killed;
December - More than 220.000 ethnic Azerbaijanis were forced
to leave their homelands in the Armenian SSR;
1989
July 29 - The railway link from Azerbaijan to Armenia was
closed because of the attacks to the trains in the territory of
Armenia. Beginning of the isolation of the Nakhchivan Autonomous
Republic of Azerbaijan by Armenia;
December 1 - The Supreme Council of the Armenian SSR passed a
resolution "on reunification of the Armenian SSR and NKAR"; thus in
violence of all basic norms and principles of international law,
Armenia officially declared its claim against the territorial
integrity of the neighboring state;
1990
January 13 - Disarmament of the Baky police by the order of
USSR Interior Office. Due to this, following next days (13-16
January) it was impossible to prevent disorders in Baky;
January 20 - The Soviet Army invaded Baky and massacred
hundreds of local civilians. Children, women and elderly people were
the first victims of this vandalism. Official statistics claims
around 150 people died, 700 injured;
1991
September 2 - Armenians declared the establishment of the
so-called "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR)" in the territory of
Mountainous Karabakh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The
illegal armed groups of about 15.000 people were formed as a
"self-defense forces of NKR";
September 23 - Meeting of Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia
in Zheleznovodsk (Russia) mediated by the Russian and Kazakhstan
Presidents. An agreement was reached to settle the conflict in a
peaceful way;
October-November - In despite of the reached agreement,
Armenian armed forces launched massive attacks against Azerbaijani
population of the Khodjavand/Martuni and Hadrut districts of the
NKAR. About 30 villages were occupied and devastated and inhabitants
were driven out of their homes;
November 20 - Armenian terrorists opened a fire at the
civilian helicopter "MI-8", which was carrying a group of high
ranking people from Russia and Kazakhstan and senior leadership of
Azerbaijan near the village of Garakend of the Khodjavand district
(NKAR). The murder of 22 people was an end of the first attempt for
the peaceful settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict
undertaken in Zheleznovodsk and gave an impetus to further
escalation of violence;
1992
January 30-31 - The second meeting of the CSCE Council in
Prague. Azerbaijan and Armenia got admitted to the CSCE;
February 25-26 - A while after the accession of Armenia to the
CSCE, the armed forces of this state committed an act of genocide
against civilian population of Khojali, Azerbaijani town within the
former NKAR. With substantial support of the regiment #366 of Russia
(deployed in Khankendi), the Armenian army brutally killed 613
people (among them, 63 children, 106 women, 70 elders) and destroyed
this town. 487 people were wounded (including 76 children); 1275
persons were taken as hostages; 150 people are still missing;
February 28 - 7th meeting of the OSCE Committee of Senior
Officials in Prague. It called the parties to establish a cease-fire
in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan without delay, respect
inviolability of internal, as well as external borders, which can
only be changed by peaceful means and with common consent, and
refuse from all territorial claims, including abstinence from all
the hostile propaganda;
End of February - Removal of the 366th rifle regiment of the
Russian armed forces from Khankendi to Russia and illegal transfer
of 25 tanks, 87 armored infantry fighting vehicles, 28 armored
vehicles, 45 artillery mortar systems to the Armenian separatists;
March 11 - The declaration of the Committee of Ministers of
the Council of Europe expressing its deep concern about recent
reports of indiscriminate killings and outrages, and firm
condemnation of the violence and attacks directed against the
civilian populations in the Nagorno-Karabakh area of the Republic of
Azerbaijan;
March 24 - First additional Helsinki meeting of the CSCE
Council. Decision to convene a conference on Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict under the auspices of the CSCE;
May 7 - Meeting of the Heads of States of Armenia and
Azerbaijan in Tehran with mediation of Iran. Meeting was devoted to
the normalization of the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and the
peaceful settlement of the conflict. The Heads of States signed a
communique at the end of the meeting;
May 8 - At the same time with signing of the communique in
Tehran Armenia occupied the Shusha district of NKAR (91.7 %
population of which was Azerbaijanis). As a result of the occupation
of Shusha region more than 20 thousand of Azerbaijanis were expelled
from their homeland;
May 17 - While discussions on peaceful settlement of the
conflict in the meeting of the Senior Officials Committee of the
CSCE in Helsinki were going on, armed forces of Armenia occupied
Lachin region. As a result of this occupation 63.341 Azerbaijani
civilians were forced to leave their homes;
September 19 - Agreement on cessation of all military actions
for two months period (with later prolongation clause) was reached
in Sochi (Russia) by Defense Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan;
December 9-12 - Violating the agreement reached in Sochi,
Armenia occupied 8 villages of Zangilan district of Azerbaijan;
1993
March 27-April 3 - At the same time with the peace talks in
Geneva, Armenia occupied Kalbadjar district of Azerbaijan. 60.698
Azerbaijanis were driven out of their permanent residences;
April 6 - The President of the UN Security Council made a
statement condemning the occupation of Kalbadjar;
April 15 - The declaration of the Committee of Ministers of
the Council of Europe on escalation of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. The CM expressed its serious concerns on escalation of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and especially the extension of the combat
zone to the Kelbadjar district of the Republic of Azerbaijan and
endorsed the demand of the President of the UN Security Council for
the immediate cessation of all hostilities and calls for the
withdrawal of all forces which endanger the peace and security of
the region;
April 25-29 - The Organization of Islamic Conference adopted a
resolution strongly condemning the recent Armenian offensive against
Azerbaijan and the occupation of Azerbaijani territories;
April 30 - Adoption of the resolution #822 by the UN Security
Council, demanding immediate withdrawal of all occupying forces from
the Kelbadjar and other recently occupied areas of Azerbaijan;
June 11 - The Statement of the North Atlantic Cooperation
Council (NACC): "We strongly support UN SC Resolution #822, which
must be implemented fully and without delay by all countries and
parties to the conflict. We call for the immediate cessation of
hostilities, the withdrawal of all occupying forces from the
Kelbadjar and other recently occupied districts of Azerbaijan";
July 23 - Occupation of the Agdam district of Azerbaijan by
Armenia, immediately after the visit of Mr. M. Rafaelli, the
chairman of the Minsk Conference of the OSCE. 158.000 Azerbaijani
civilians were forcefully displaced from their homes;
July 24 - Statement by the Chairman of the CSCE Minsk
Conference on the offensive on and reported seizure of Agdam city
(Azerbaijan);
July 29 - Adoption of the resolution #853 of the UN Security
Council, which demanded "the immediate, complete and unconditional
withdrawal of occupying forces involved from the district of Agdam
and other recently occupied districts of the Republic of
Azerbaijan";
August 18 - The statement of the President of the UN Security
Council on full, immediate and unconditional withdrawal of the
occupying forces from the Agdam district and other recently occupied
districts of Azerbaijan.
August 23-26 - Despite the mentioned warnings, Armenia,
continuing its aggression, occupied Fizuli and Jabrail districts of
Azerbaijan. As a result, 209.985 Azerbaijani civilians were
forcefully displaced from their homelands;
August 25-26 - Armenia ignores the request of the
Chairman-in-office of the CSCE addresses to the Armenian President
L. Ter-Petrosian on not advancing the armed forces for occupation of
Gubadly and Zangilan regions of Azerbaijan;
August 31 - The occupation of the Gubadly district of
Azerbaijan by the Armenian troops. As a result, 31.364 Azerbaijani
civilians were displaced from their homes;
October 14 - Adoption of the UN Security Council Resolution
#874, which called for "immediate implementation of the reciprocal
and urgent steps provided for in the CSCE Minsk Group's Adjusted
timetable, including the withdrawal of forces from recently occupied
territories";
October 28-November 1 - Occupation of the Horadiz town and
Zangilan district of Azerbaijan. 34.924 Azerbaijani civilians had to
flee and leave their homes;
November 11 - Adoption of the UN Security Council Resolution
#884, which condemned the occupation of Zangilan district and the
Horadiz town, attacks on civilians and bombardments of the territory
of the Republic of Azerbaijan and demanded the unilateral withdrawal
of occupying forces from the Zangilan district and Horadiz, and the
withdrawal of occupying forces from other recently occupied areas of
the Azerbaijani Republic;
1994
January 10-11 - The Heads of State and Government of the North
Atlantic Cooperation Council adopted a declaration where they
"condemned the use of force for territorial gains. Respect for the
territorial integrity, independence and sovereignty of Armenia,
Azerbaijan and Georgia is essential to the establishment of peace,
stability and cooperation in the region…";
April 15 - CIS Declaration on respect to the sovereignty,
territorial integrity and inviolability of borders of the
participating states of the CIS. Armenia was the only CIS country,
who did not join the declaration;
May 12 - Agreement on cease-fire entered into force;
June 9-10 - The Ministerial Meeting of the North Atlantic
Council adopted a declaration where the ministers "agreed that
implementation of an effective cease-fire and constructive
negotiations in a spirit of compromise are essential to create the
conditions necessary for a step-by-step peace process leading to a
permanent solution, including the de-escalation of the conflict and
the withdrawal of forces from areas occupied by force and the return
of displaced persons to their homes in accordance with the relevant
UN Security Council resolutions…";
December 5-6 - CSCE Budapest Summit. A decision on
"Intensification of CSCE action in relation to the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict" was adopted. In accordance with this document the
institute of Co-Chairs of the Minsk Conference was established "to
conduct speedy negotiations for the conclusion of a political
agreement on cessation of the armed conflict, the implementation of
which, will eliminate major consequences of the conflict for all
parties and permit the convening of the Minsk Conference". Thereby,
the Budapest Summit adopted a two-stage legal framework of the
settlement process: 1) first stage - elimination of consequences of
the armed conflict by implementation of the agreement, i.e., full
liberation of all occupied territories and ensuring return of IDPs
to their homes; 2) second stage - convening Minsk Conference for
final, comprehensive settlement of the conflict. The Budapest Summit
also adopted a decision to establish an OSCE peacekeeping operation
after the conclusion of the political agreement;
1995
Negotiations on elaboration of the agreement on cessation of
the conflict.
1996
December 2-3 - OSCE Lisbon Summit. The OSCE Chairman-in-Office
has made a statement supported by all (53) OSCE member states except
Armenia, on three principles for the settlement of the conflict
between Armenia and Azerbaijan: 1) territorial integrity of the
Republic of Armenia and the Azerbaijan Republic; 2) legal status of
Nagorno-Karabakh defined in an agreement based on self-determination
which confers on Nagorno-Karabakh the highest degree of self-rule
within Azerbaijan; 3) guaranteed security for Nagorno-Karabakh and
its whole population, including mutual obligations to ensure
compliance by all the parties with the provisions of the settlement;
1997
January - An institute of "triple" Co-Chairmanship of the OSCE
Minsk Conference (Russia, USA and France) was introduced;
April 2 - The report of the Chairman of the Defense Committee
of the State Duma, Mr. Lev Rokhlin on an illegal delivery of the
Russian weapons to Armenia worth of one billion USD. Later on, Mr.
Rokhlin got killed in unknown circumstances;
April 22 - Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
adopted a Resolution (1119) on the conflicts in Transcaucasus, where
it stressed the settlement of the conflicts in the region has to be
on the basis of the principles set out in the 1975 Helsinki Final
Act and the 1990 Paris Charter:
i. inviolability of borders;
ii. guaranteed security for all peoples in the areas
concerned, particularly through multinational peacekeeping forces;
iii. extensive autonomy status for Abkhazia and
Nagorno-Karabakh to be negotiated by all the parties concerned;
iv. right of return of refugees and displaced persons and
their reintegration respecting human rights.
June 1 - The Co-chairmen introduced a "package plan" for the
settlement of the conflict. The basic idea behind the proposal was
to work in parallel negotiations on two core issues of the
confrontation: withdrawal of the armed forces from occupied regions
and elaboration of the status of Nagorno-Karabakh. Unlike Armenia,
who refused this plan, Azerbaijan accepted the proposal with some
exceptions;
September 19 - The Co-chairmen introduced "step-by-step"
settlement plan. This plan envisaged two-staged conflict settlement
according to the following scheme: On the first stage - withdrawal
of occupying armed forces from six districts, which are outside of
the former NKAO (except Lachin district), return of civilian
population and restoration of the main communication links in the
conflict area; on the second stage - definition of the status of the
Nagorno-Karabakh as well as of Lachin and Shusha;
October 10 - Strasbourg Joint Statement of the Presidents of
Azerbaijan and Armenia on supporting the plan for "step-by-step"
settlement of the conflict;
L. Ter-Petrosian noted the importance of the step-by-step
resolution of the conflict in his article "War or Peace". Later, he
had to resign under the pressure of the political-military circles.
The Prime Minister R. Kocharyan (a resident of the Mountainous
Karabakh region of Azerbaijan and leader of separatists until before
this appointment) became an acting President of the country. Short
after his victory in the presidential elections, the position of
Armenia on the settlement of the conflict became tougher.
Between 1997-2002, no meeting of the OSCE Minsk Group was held
in full composition.
1998
April-May - Armenia officially declared about the renunciation
of the consent of the former President of the Republic on the
step-by-step settlement;
November 9 - The Co-chairmen brought forward a new plan for
the settlement, called a "common state". Azerbaijani side refused to
accept this proposal as a basis for the negotiations because of its
inconsistence with the norms and principles of international law as
well as the national legislation. Azerbaijan confirmed its readiness
to resume negotiations within the OSCE Minsk Group framework, on the
basis of the previous proposal of the co-chairmen, on the
step-by-step settlement plan;
1999-2002
Direct talks between the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Up to date, they have met more than 20 times. No results have been
achieved so far.
2002
March 8 - In search of the advancing the peace process, the
Co-chairmen suggested to appoint Special Representatives of the
Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia for negotiations on the
conflict. The Special Representatives met three times during a year,
twice in Prague - in May and July and once in Vienna - in November;
July 12 - In the final document of the EU-Azerbaijan
Cooperation Committee, the EU reaffirmed its support to the
territorial integrity of Azerbaijan as the basis for the peaceful
solution of the conflict;
August 2 - The EU condemned holding of the so-called
"presidential elections" in Nagorno-Karabakh region of the Republic
of Azerbaijan.
2003
January 23 - An Enlarged Bureau of the Council of Europe
Committee of Ministers held a special session in Strasburg on the
fulfillment of the obligations undertaken by Azerbaijan and Armenia
to peacefully settle the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict.
January 30 - The Secretary General of the Council of Europe
voiced regret at the recent declaration on "ethnic incompatibility
between Armenians and Azerbaijanis", made by President Kocharian of
Armenia. "Recalling dark pages of European history will never be a
good electoral strategy", underlined Walter Schwimmer in reference
to the upcoming presidential elections in Armenia, scheduled for 19
February.
February 19 - March 5 The presidential elections in Armenia.
first round - second round R. Kocharyan was elected as the
president of the Republic of Armenia for his second term. The
observers of OSCE/ODIHR, CE Parliamentary Assembly reported that the
elections were held with serious irregularities.
June 19 - The coalition government of Armenia submitted its
action plan for the next four years to the parliament. The section
"Defense and Security" of this program states that, "as in previous
years, the government sees the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh
problem within peace negotiation process, emphasizing international
recognition of the right of the "Artsakh" (Nagorno-Karabakh) people
to self-determination and security guarantees of the population of
the "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic". The very possibility of
subordination of the "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic" to Azerbaijan is
ruled out."
During the presentation of the program, the Armenian Prime
Minister A.Markaryan, speaking about the Armenia-Azerbaijan
conflict, said: "Karabakh must not be part of Azerbaijan, must have
a common border with Armenia and that the self-determination of the
Karabakh Armenians must be recognized by the world".
August 19 - During monitoring held by the Office of Personal
Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office on the
Armenia-Azerbaijan border in the Tovuz region of Azerbaijan the
Armenian side again broke ceasefire regime, as a result of which the
monitoring process was immediately stopped. Unfortunately, the
Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej
Kasprczyk refused to mention this fact in his information report.
September - Co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group from Russia
N.Gribkov was replaced by Y.Merzlyakov. During his visit to the
region he held series of meetings with Azerbaijani officials on
September 3-5.
October 15 - The presidential elections in Azerbaijan.
Ilham Aliyev was elected as the president of the Republic of
Azerbaijan for his first term.
December 11 - The first meeting of the President of Azerbaijan
Mr. I.Aliyev with his Armenian counterpart in Geneva.
2004
April 16 - The meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and
Azerbaijan with participation of the OSCE Minsk Group Cochairmen in
Prague.
April 28-30 - The meeting of the Presidents of Azerbaijan and
Armenia in Warsaw.
May 12-13 - The meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia
and Azerbaijan with participation of the OSCE Minsk Group Cochairmen
in Strasbourg.
June 21 - The meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and
Azerbaijan with participation of the OSCE Minsk Group Cochairmen in
Prague.
June 28/29 - The meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia
and Azerbaijan with the presence of the Turkish Foreign Minister Mr.
Abdullah Gul in Istanbul
August 3-12 - Command staff exercises conducted by Armenian
armed forces in the occupied territories of the Republic of
Azerbaijan.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan in its statement
drew the attention of the international community to the fact that
conducting of these exercises is another obvious evidence of the
aggression by the Republic of Armenia against the Republic of
Azerbaijan, and of occupation of its territories.
August 8 - "elections" to the "local self-government bodies"
were held by the authorities of the Armenian separatist regime in
the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.
In the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of
Azerbaijan it was noted that such kind of "elections" may not
pretend to have a single piece of legitimacy because they are in
complete contradiction with the norms of international law, as well
as with the national legislation of the Republic of Azerbaijan,
since they are being held in conditions of continuing aggression,
occupation and forceful expulsion of one third of the indigenous
population of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of the Azerbaijani origin.
August 30 - The meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia
and Azerbaijan with participation of the OSCE Minsk Group Cochairmen
in Prague.
September 15 - The meeting of the Presidents of Armenia and
Azerbaijan within the CIS Summit in Astana. The President of Armenia
Robert Kocharian requested to delay the following Prague meeting
(25th of October 2004) of the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and
Armenia for need to analyze and comprehend the results of the
previous four meetings of FMs.
October 14 - Azerbaijan requested the inclusion of an
additional item in the agenda of the fifty-ninth session of the UN
General Assembly, entitled "The situation in the occupied
territories of Azerbaijan".
October 29 - Acting on the recommendations of its General
Committee, the UN General Assembly decided to include an additional
item on its current agenda entitled "The situation in the occupied
territories of Azerbaijan". It took that decision by a recorded vote
of 43 in favour to 1 against (Armenia) with 99 abstentions.
November 19 - The meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia
and Azerbaijan in Berlin.
November 23 - Additional item #163 "The situation in the
occupied territories of Azerbaijan" was debated on the 59th session
of UN General Assembly. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of
Azerbaijan gave a speech concerning the content of the additional
item and illegal activities of Armenia in the occupied territories
of Azerbaijan.
December 5 - The meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia
and Azerbaijan with participation of the OSCE Minsk Group Cochairmen
in Sofia.
December 6-7 - The meeting of the 12th OSCE Ministerial
Council in Sofia. The adoption of the Ministerial Council statement
on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which "commend the progress
achieved in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in 2004,
in particular, the three meetings of the Presidents of Armenia and
Azerbaijan under the auspices of the Co-Chairmen of the OSCE Minsk
Group and welcome the creation of the so-called "Prague Process",
through which four meetings between the Foreign Ministers of both
countries allowed the methodical re-examination of all the
parameters of a future settlement".
December 9 - The meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia
and Azerbaijan in Brussels in the framework of NATO EAPC
Ministerial.
2005
January 11 - The meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia
and Azerbaijan with participation of the OSCE Minsk Group
Co-Chairmen in Prague.
January 25 - Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
(PACE) adopted a resolution 1416. The resolution reaffirms "that
independence and secession of a regional territory from a state may
only be achieved through a lawful and peaceful process based on
democratic support by the inhabitants of such territory and not in
the wake of an armed conflict leading to ethnic expulsion and the de
facto annexation of such territory to another state." The Assembly
calls on Armenia and Azerbaijan to make use OSCE Minsk Process and
actively submit to each other via the Minsk Group their constructive
proposals for the peaceful settlement of the conflict. David
Atkinson, special PACE Rapporteur on Nagorno-Karabakh, the author of
the resolution and recommendations, responding to the question of
the BBC correspondent on the principle of territorial integrity vs.
the principle of self-determination in resolution of the conflict,
stated that principle of self-determination can not be applied to
the case of Nagorno-Karabakh, because Azerbaijan stands for its
territorial integrity, recognized by international community.
January 30 - February 5 - The visit by the "OSCE Minsk Group
Fact-Finding Mission on Settlements in the Occupied Territories of
Azerbaijan" to the occupied territories - Aghdam, Jabrayil, Fizuli,
Zangilan, Gubadly, Kalbajar and Lachin - of Azerbaijan.
February - The OSCE dispatch Fact-Finding Mission to
investigate the Armenian illegal settlements in the occupied
Azerbaijani territories.
March 2 - The meeting of the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan
with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs in Prague.
The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs officially presented a report
of the OSCE Minsk Group Fact-Finding Mission (FFM). In their joint
statement Co-Chairs pointed that "the mission found evidence of the
presence of settlers in the territories examined" and recommended
"that any further settlement of the occupied territories of
Azerbaijan should be discouraged". They urged "the parties to
accelerate negotiations toward a political settlement in order,
inter alia, to address the problem of the settlers and to avoid
changes in the demographic structure of the region, which would make
more difficult any future efforts to achieve a negotiated
settlement". In his comments Minister of Foreign Affairs of
Azerbaijan Elmar Mammedyarov considered the FFM report as objective
in general. The FFM determined about 16,000 settlers in the occupied
territories of Azerbaijan outside the Nagorno-Karabakh region. "It
is clear that the longer they remain in the occupied territories,
the deeper their roots and attachments to their present places of
residence will become. Prolonged continuation of this situation
could lead to a fait accompli that would seriously complicate the
peace process" said Co-Chairs' statement.
April 15 - Continuation of "Prague process" in London. Foreign
Minister of Azerbaijan and Armenia met separately with the Co-chairs
of the OSCE Minsk Group to discuss further steps to resolve the
conflict. The mediators - France, Russia and the US declared that
the peace process has entered a "sensitive juncture, where a first
step towards an agreement could be at hand in the framework of the
discussions between the parties."
April 27 - The meeting of the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan
with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs in Frankfurt.
In the threshold of the Council of Europe's Summit in Warsaw
Presidents Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan and Robert Kocharyan of
Armenia met at the Belvedere palace in the presence of the OSCE
Minsk group Co-chairs, and Foreign Ministers Sergey Lavrov of Russia
and Michel Barnier of France. Minister of Foreign Affairs of
Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov has briefed journalists on the
three-hour meeting. "Despite certain progress has been reached,
there is still a need for further discussion," he said. The Minister
added that after the meeting the Presidents have assigned the
Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia to continue negotiating
some important issues other than those agreed within the Prague
process. According to him, the Co-chairs will also continue their
activities. "Generally, no format of the talks but their result is
important for Azerbaijan, in other words, territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan must be restored," the Minister said.
June 17 - The meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and
Azerbaijan with participation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs in
Paris.
June 19 - "Elections" to the "parliament" were held by the
authorities of the Armenian separatist regime in the occupied
territories of Azerbaijan.
In its statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of
Azerbaijan noted that such kind of "elections" may not pretend to
have a single piece of legitimacy because they are in complete
contradiction with the norms of international law, as well as with
the national legislation of the Republic of Azerbaijan, since they
are being held in conditions of continuing aggression, occupation
and ethnic cleansing. It states that such activities by Armenian
side do not fit with the spirit of negotiation process, esp. when
there is a hope for positive step forwards and that continuous peace
cannot be achieved without normalization of life and peaceful
co-existence and cooperation of Azerbaijani and Armenian communities
of Nagorno-Karabakh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
July 5 - The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly considered a report
on the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict at its session held in
Washington. The report prepared by the Assembly's special envoy on
the conflict Goran Lennmarker from Sweden. In his comments Mr.
Lennmarker stressed that "the conflict is not frozen. Several people
are killed along the line-of-contact every year". He added: "there
is no alternative to a peaceful solution - in fact there is an
urgent need to solve the conflict in order to end the personal,
economic, and social suffering on both sides of this conflict". Mr.
Lennmarker suggested basing a solution on experiences from Europe,
where democracy and integration are fundamental components in
securing a lasting peace. The report points out the fundamentals of
ending of occupation, the return of refugees and IDPs as well as
democracy and minority rights. Swedish diplomat recommends autonomy
solution referring to an example of the Aland islands.
July 10-12 - The OSCE Group Co-Chairs (Ambassadors Steven Mann
of the U.S., Yuriy Merzlyakov of Russia and Bernard Fassier of
France) visited Azerbaijan and Armenia. In Azerbaijan they met with
President Ilham Aliyev and Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov as
well as with Nizami Bakhmanov, the head of the expelled Azerbaijani
community from the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan.
The Co-chairs told journalists at a press conference on July 12 that
they discussed with President and Foreign Minister the principles,
which could have become a basis for the future peace treaty.
Mediators pointed out that much would depend on the two leaderships'
political will and the peoples' desire.
During the meetings Co-Chairs discussed, among other issues,
an Azerbaijani initiative to open a road network
Agdam-Khankendi-Shusha-Lachin-Goris-Nakhichevan which would open
communication line from Azerbaijan to Armenia and Nakhichevan
enclave of Azerbaijan as well as Turkey. Nizami Bkhamanov positively
responded to an idea of launching a dialogue between Azerbaijani and
Armenian communities of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan.
Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Araz Azimov commented
Co-Chairs' meetings in Baku as "effective and fruitful." But he said
that "negotiations were rather difficult and complicated." "I can't
say that agreements have been reached. At all the meetings
Azerbaijan has demonstrated a constructive position. Armenia also
should occupy a constructive position, otherwise all opportunities
will be missed," said Azimov. Azimov pointed out that Armenia tries
to bring "new elements," which are not subject of the negotiations.
"There are great chances to achieve peace right now and the opposing
party can lose them. I urge Armenia to use this chance," said
Azimov. "Azerbaijani occupied territories must be given back.
Armenia must not claim to Azerbaijani territories under the pretext
of the corridor (linking Armenia with Nagorno-Karabakh region of
Azerbaijan). Armenia can use the road passing through the Lachin
corridor. But Lachin city cannot remain under occupation."
Opening of Agdam-Khankendi-Shusha-Lachin-Goris-Nakhichevan
road will help to improve relationships and restore cooperation and
confidence between people, said Azimov. He also stressed that the
status of the Nagorno-Karabakh region could be resolved only through
joint efforts of Armenian and Azerbaijani communities of
Nagorno-Karabakh. "At present, part of people living in Nagorno
Karabakh is Armenians, who arrived from abroad. Local Armenians are
Azerbaijani citizens and Azerbaijanis must determine their status by
themselves. For this purpose Azerbaijani population must return to
the liberated territories and economic relationships and mutual
confidence must be restored," said Azimov.
August 12 - In its Address to the voters, the Central Election
Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan notified of the start of
functioning of Khankendi Constituency No. 122 and called all
citizens of Azerbaijan of Armenian origin living in Khankendi,
Shusha, Khojali, Khojavend and other settlements of Nagorno Karabakh
regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan, together with their
countrymen to exercise their voting rights in Khankendi Constituency
No. 122 and Shusha-Fuzuli-Khojali-Khojavend Constituency No. 124.
August 24 - The meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia
and Azerbaijan with participation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs
in Moscow.
August 26-27 - The meeting of the Presidents of Armenia and
Azerbaijan within the CIS Summit in Kazan.
September 12 - The item entitled "The situation on the
occupied territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan" was included
into the agenda of the 60-th session of the UN General Assembly. On
the same day the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
held discussion on the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict in Paris. The
PACE decided to follow further the process of honouring by two sides
the decisions contained in the January 2005 PACE resolution on the
conflict settlement.
September 14 - An international organization - International
Crisis Group (ICG) working to prevent conflicts worldwide has issued
report on Armenia-Azerbaijani conflict. ICG vice-president Alain
Deletroz told at news conference in Baku that Armenia should not
insist on the determination of the status of the Nagorno-Karabakh
region of Azerbaijan, as disputes over the issue have considerably
delayed the conflict resolution. "Armenia must withdraw from seven
occupied Azerbaijani districts, refugees should return home, trust
be restored between the two sides, and at last, the Karabakh status
determined." Deletroz said that the activities to be carried out
prior to the status determination will take at least 15-20 years.
Deletroz said that just like all other international organizations,
the ICG considers the Nagorno-Karabakh a part of Azerbaijan. "This
is the legal aspect of the issue and there is no problem with it.
The problem is that the Nagorno-Karabakh is de-facto in the hands of
Armenians." The ICG project director on South Caucasus Sabin Frasier
said the organization has welcomed the resumption of activity of the
Khankandi district constituency in the Nagorno-Karabakh, which will
allow ethnic Armenian citizens of Azerbaijan to vote in the November
parliament elections in Azerbaijan.
December 5 - The meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia
and Azerbaijan with participation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs
in Ljubljana within the framework of the OSCE Ministerial Council
meeting.
December 5-6 - The meeting of the 13th OSCE Ministerial
Council in Ljubljana. The adoption of the Ministerial Council
statement on the conflict dealt with by the OSCE Minsk Group, which
"takes note with satisfaction of the progress in the
Nagorno-Karabakh negotiations through the "Prague Process" in 2005,
and in particular the two meetings of the Presidents of Armenia and
Azerbaijan in Warsaw and Kazan under the auspices of the Co-Chairs
of the OSCE Minsk Group, and encourages the Presidents of Armenia
and Azerbaijan to use the current promising window of opportunity in
order to attain within the coming year significant achievements in
the settlement of the conflict in the framework of the OSCE Minsk
process."
December 16 - The visit of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to
Azerbaijan.
December 16-20 - The reconnaissance trip of the High-Level
Planning Group (HLPG) of the OSCE to Azerbaijan.
2006
January 18-19 - The meeting of the Foreign Ministers of
Armenia and Azerbaijan with participation of the OSCE Minsk Group
Co-chairs in London.
January 20-27 - The reconnaissance trip of the High-Level
Planning Group (HLPG) of the OSCE to the occupied territories of
Azerbaijan.
February 1 - The visit of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to
Azerbaijan.
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