The Azerbaijani ambassador to the US brought the Azerbaijani side’s protest regarding the entry of representative of the illegal regime created in Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh region occupied by Armenia, Masis Mayilian, to the US, to the attention of the US Department of State, spokesperson for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Leyla Abdullayeva told.

Axar.az reports citing Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.

Abdullayeva was answering a question about a representative of a self-proclaimed structure created in the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, visiting the US.

Abdullayeva said that the Azerbaijani embassy sent the corresponding letters to the speaker of the House of Representatives of the US Congress, as well as to the management, a number of chairmen of the committees.

"Our protest was also expressed to the US co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group,” Abdullayeva said.

“The issue of indicating false information by the representative of the self-proclaimed structure in the visa application and that the US ignores this issue, were brought to the US officials’ attention,” the spokesperson said. “Such an approach, which is inconsistent with the US general policy, is surprising.”

“The US side said that Mayilian’s visit is private, the administration does not support this visit and Mayilian will not be received by any official from the US administration,” Abdullayeva said. “The US policy of not recognizing the separatist regime remains unchanged.”

“The Azerbaijani embassy in the US will send a note of protest regarding this issue to the US Department of State,” the spokesperson said. “At the same time, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry will express protest to the US embassy in Baku."

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, 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 Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts.