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Azernews, 21 September 2017

By Rashid Shirinov

Azerbaijan`s Foreign Ministry announced that the illegal visit of the members of House of Representatives of the US Congress Frank Pallone and Tulsi Gabbard to the occupied Azerbaijani territories is being investigated.

"The appropriate and necessary steps will be taken against them soon after the investigation is completed," Spokesman for the Ministry  Hikmat Hajiyev told Trend.

"These persons who introduce themselves as members of the US Congress have been financed by the Armenian lobby in the United States and by Armenia for many years and are completely dependent on the Armenian lobby," Hajiyev added.

Armenian media outlets earlier reported that Members of the US House of Representatives Frank Pallone and Tulsi Gabbard are on a visit to the Armenian-occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan.

Unauthorized visits to Nagorno-Karabakh and other regions of Azerbaijan occupied by Armenia are considered illegal, and any individuals paying such visits are included in the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry's list of undesirable persons. Baku continues the work to prevent such illegal actions, and the foreign citizens should keep their eyes peeled in order not to be deceived by Armenian occupiers.

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 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.