The interparliamentary diplomacy is important for the further development of bilateral relations, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said.

Mammadyarov made this statement at a meeting with a delegation of the Australian parliament, on a visit to Baku, the foreign ministry said.

During the meeting the sides stressed the opportunities for cooperation between Azerbaijan and Australia in a number of areas.

“Mammadyarov expressed his confidence that the visit of the Australian delegation to Baku will contribute to the development of relations between the two countries,” the statement said.

While speaking about the current events in the region, Mammadyarov informed the delegation members about the negotiations that are underway to resolve the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Mammadyarov stressed the importance of resolving this problem as part of the norms and principles of international law, in particular the inviolability of the internationally recognized borders, territorial integrity and sovereignty of the countries.

The views on the issues of mutual interest were expressed at the meeting.

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 percent 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 the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.

Trend.az