Preservation of Karabakh status-quo unacceptable - Poroshenko
BAKU. July 14 (Interfax) - Ukraine categorically rejects preservation of the status quo in the Nagorno-Karabakh problem, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said.
"Ukraine for its part has declared the categorical inadmissibility of preserving the status quo in Nagorno-Karabakh and hailed the firm refusal of Azerbaijan to recognize the annexation of Crimea and its support to the territorial integrity of Ukraine within internationally recognized borders," Poroshenko said in his joint statement with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Baku on Thursday.
"Let me be clear about this: Ukraine does not and will not recognize Nagorno-Karabakh certification documents, as we have said, and we welcome a similar position of Azerbaijan on Crimea," Poroshenko said.
He thanked President Aliyev for backing the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.
"Of course, the negotiations centered on the most important question for our countries - mutual support for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of our states," the Ukrainian president said.
He added that Azerbaijani and Ukrainian customs authorities signed a cooperation agreement in Baku.