Armenia’s foreign minister slams Azerbaijan for its destructive position and unwillingness to resolve Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

YEREVAN, 17 October. / ARKA /. Armenia’s foreign affairs minister Edward Nalbandian slammed today Azerbaijan for its destructive position and unwillingness to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, as he met in Yerevan the US, Russian and French co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group and the personal representative of the OSCE chairman-in-office. 

Armenian foreign ministry said in a statement that the meeting was dedicated to preparation for another meeting of Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents in late October in Paris on the peaceful settlement of the conflict.

Nalbandian was said to have drawn the attention of the co-chairs to the fact that Azerbaijan has again raised tension along the border with Armenia and the line of contact in Nagorno-Karabakh ahead of the Paris meeting. He said Baku has made this a tradition.

According to Nalbandian, pretending that it is ready to begin development of a peace treaty, Azerbaijan on the one hand is trying to push the negotiations to another ground, and on the other hand  is trying to disrupt the processes mediated in recent years by the OSCE Minsk Group which is aimed at the harmonization of fundamental principles of the settlement, backed by statements made by the heads of the co-chairing countries.

Nalbandian also drew attention of the co-chairs and the personal representative of the OSCE chairman-in-office to the Azerbaijani side’s allegations that the co-chairs proposed to start negotiations on the level of experts around a set of issues.

Armenian foreign minister described this as ‘indication of Azerbaijan’s s non-seriousness ahead of the Paris meeting.”

Nalbandian reiterated Armenia's readiness to continue joint efforts with the OSCE Minsk Group for exclusively peaceful settlement of the Karabakh issue. 

The conflict between Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan broke out as result of the ethnic cleansing launched by the Azeri authorities in the final years of the Soviet Union. The Karabakh war was fought from 1991 (when the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic was proclaimed) to 1994 (when a ceasefire was sealed by Armenia, NKR and Azerbaijan). Most of Nagorno-Karabakh and a security zone consisting of 7 regions are now under control of NKR defense army. Armenia and Azerbaijan are holding peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group.-0-