Europe must pay more attention to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said at a meeting of the PACE Standing Committee in Baku on May 23.

"Having such a large number of refugees and conflicts in the 21st century is unacceptable," he said.

While commenting on Azerbaijan's presidency in PACE, the minister said that during this period Azerbaijan will hold several major international events.

"The country will host 18 international events in the next six months," he added. "We intend to demonstrate maximum transparency and openness, as European countries must try to understand each other, rather than argue."

Mammadyarov added that during its presidency in PACE, Azerbaijan will coordinate its activity with European partners.

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 U.S. are currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.